Once Upon Another Time
by Number Ten
Summary: Crystal Miller is on her own. She has no past or present and is terrible with love. She has a few secrets that she wants to keep under wraps. Her secrets come back to the surface and get worse than ever before. In a moment of panic, she gets up and leaves the big city, hell bent on who knows what and where. She ends up somewhere, a place where she might find answers. Storybrooke.
1. Chapter 1: A Real Ending

Chapter 1: A Real Ending

"I HATE YOU AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

"FINE BY ME! GET OUT OF MY LIFE!"

"GOOD RIDDANCE!"

Doors slam and my anger is higher than the sun. I kick the nearest stack of junk. Several old and scratched CD cases go clattering to the ground.

 _Don't get too angry or... too late._

The CD cases begin to float in the air. I remove the discs and let the cases clatter to the floor. I want the sharp, silver discs to do what I want.

 _What is your anger toward?_ the voice in my head asks

 _He broke up with me!_ I hiss.

These words are like venom on my tongue. I squeeze my hands together and the CDs re-arrange themselves.

 _You deserve to be avenged_

 _I don't take revenge, I thought we had an understanding about that._ I say in frustration

 _Just think about it...these silver discs flying towards him. Catching him unaware and cutting..._

"ENOUGH!" I scream, hurtling the discs forward with my mind.

I need to breathe I think to myself. Keep the demons in the dungeon.

I suck in a breath through my nose and hold it for ten seconds.

3...2...1...Release

I exhale slowly.

 _Your demons can't hide forever_. The voice hisses angrily.

 _You're not hiding. You're being consumed by my flames._

 _We will be re-born from the ashes._

 _I can live with that..._ I sigh and open my eyes again.

Time to pick up the pieces. It happens every time they come back, I usually end up breaking something. I find the CD's on the opposite wall, stuck through my bulletin board of pictures and no surprise, they were pictures of us. Our hiking journey in the Himalayas, our selfies at the beach along with the prom pictures and a photo of me and my mom when I was six. I didn't care about the couples pictures, I've tossed tonnes of them out already, but the one of the surviving photos of my family. Well, half of it.

The damage to the picture is pretty minimal, just a slice near my neck and a sliced corner. I begin ripping off the unwanted baggage that was my romantic relationship. It's my latest, but won't be my last. Why do I only manage to attract psychos and jerks? Once I'm done

I can't be alone right now. I need someone to talk to and that doesn't mean the voices in my head.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Lis..."

"Oh hey, how's it going?"

"Picture Rebecca Black meets that parrot from Aladdin and they team up with Macbeth and Freddy Kruger and they commit mass genocide on my soul."

"You're kidding? Who dumped who this time?" she sighs. I've called her so many times after break-ups, she knows not to ask who it was or why because I'll tell her.

"I guess we kind of dumped each other," I say, trying to process what actually happened in detail.

"What did he do to you? Did you break his arm like you did with Jackson?"

"No, and you know that was extenuating circumstances with that. He tried to grab my... you know. That was pure self-defense. That's what the courts said."

"You just cannot hold onto a man can you?" Alisa sighs at the other end of the line.

"Hey, you dated plenty and left a longer trail of broken hearts than I did." I protest.

"At least, I didn't get a restraining order."

"Lisa, the dude was a psycho."

"You're exaggerating."

"He collected sculptures."

"He sounds like a history buff."

"Of 70's underwear models."

"Okay, I'll give you that, but what about Jason?"

"Owned 8 ferrets."

"Anthony?"

"His obsession with the fact that there would be a Daredevil 2 doesn't scare you?"

"What about Billy?"

"Dude wouldn't grow up..."

"Let me guess..."

"Macaroni and bead necklaces. Cute craft for eight-year-old, but 21-year-old!" I say sitting on my bed.

"What's with you and men?"

"I know! What is it? Am I such a beacon to freaks? Do I give off some siren song that says come date me creepy, obsessive, childish psychos?"

"You do it?"

"It's a gift." I shrug.

"Okay, standard break up protocol, all the Nicholas Sparks movies, cookie dough ice cream and two boxes of tissues. I wish I could be there, but I have a night shift."

"And...?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

"And what? What are you saying?"

"You are such a bad liar, Raymond's over there isn't he?"

"I don't... how do you do that?"

"It's a gift," I say."Good night."

"Good night?"

"Go have a nice night?"

"But what kind of friend would I be if I let you alone tonight?"

You're not alone..."I'm not alone..."

"What do you mean?"

"I have Nicholas Sparks, Josh Duhamel, and Ryan Gosling."

"Good night. I love you my best friend in the whole world."

"Love you too," I say and hang up.

Another night alone in my lofty apartment in New York City, New York. A typical night for me, Crystal Miller. A girl with no past and apparently no future. Don't think this is going to be another story about a girl finding herself...This one has more of an interesting twist. You haven't seen what I can do. You don't know what will make me tick and most importantly, you don't know who I am. This story is going to surprise you because this time...I'm writing a new ending.


	2. Chapter 2: A Different Kind of Tale

Chapter 2 : A Different Kind of Tale

 _I'm not done with you._

"Well, I'm done with you" I mutter angrily, grinding my toothbrush between my teeth. "I don't want any crap from you or anyone else in there.

 _You know this is all in your own head right?_

"I don't have control over it. It's not like I asked for voices in my head. You and whoever else lives in my head are some kind of genetic defect " I say as I spit into the sink. "It's not schizophrenia. I've been to enough doctors to know."

 _Trying to change who you are..._

"Basically" I grimace, turning off the light in the bathroom.

Another lonely night in the big city of New York. No surprise, there have been countless nights like these before. I guess "technically" I'm not alone, but I try not to count the unwelcome presence of evil voices in my head. I guess they've been there since I was born. I can't remember a time where I didn't have the maniacal voices beckoning to me, telling me to do evil things. I can remember the significant event when I was four. I was playing in the living room with a couple toys. At that time, my mom and I were living in Colorado in a six storey building. I was brushing a Barbie's hair when the voice beckoned to me. I didn't say anything at first, thinking I was imagining things. The second time it spoke I began to look around, thinking there was a bad man in the apartment. Still nothing, I tried moving to the kitchen, that was under construction at the time. The voice followed me and told me to paint the kitchen their way. I dumped the contents all over the hardware floors and made a nightmare of a mess. I left my hand prints everywhere and basically destroyed the progress that had been made. My mom only showed up in time to see me chuck the paint buckets out the window from the sixth storey. She was angry at first, she was beating me something fierce and I was screaming loud enough to wake the dead until she just stopped. She looked down at my frightened face, she leaned down and whispered.

"I'm not mad, just disappointed. I know who you are, it's not your fault."

She helped me up and assisted me in cleaning up. We kept the paint and were the only people to have a blue hardware floor; which was a staple at dinner parties.

Every time after that whenever the voices got me in huge trouble, my mom never got mad. Even when I was got mixed up in the drinking, drugs, shoplifting, you name it I did it, except maybe murder. By the time I was sixteen, it was a wonder that I was still alive. I had so much poison in my veins and lungs and so many charges on my head, it was amazing I wasn't on the 10 most wanted list. I'd also been kicked out of six schools, so my life had no purpose other than to smoke and watch re-runs of NCIS on cable. And even through that crap that I put her through, Mom was never angry for more than five minutes. She paid for whatever I stole or broke, gave me money when I needed it.

I sit on my bed. After what happened.

 _Something can always come back to haunt you_

"Shut up!"

 _How can you tell you're own mind to shut up, dearie..._

Oh! That word. _Dearie_. Whenever I hear that word, I want to punch or strangle something. It's the word that the voices always used to make me do awful things. It was so persuasive, coax me into use my "magic powers" against others, cause mischief and evil whenever I'm angry or sad.

My glass on the nightstand shatters. That's it I need to let it out. I go to my window and scale the fire escape. Once I reach the roof I stare out at the city landscape. Millions of twinkling lights reflect out into the darkness. I want to make it better. I close my eyes and concentrate hard. The lights go out in the city.

"Bring some real light back."

I look upwards, without the city lights, we can see the stars.

"Make them dance." I whisper.

Little balls of light begin to dance around in the sky. I make two stars dance in a swirling formation.

"Do the tango." They do so.

"Shooting stars too"

I feel like a kid again, the wonderment never ceases. I love to see what I can do. It's better than when I used it for other purposes.

You think you can avoid the inevitable. You can bade your magic for happy purposes, but that is not what it is meant for...

"You really don't know me at all even though you've lived in my head all my life. You may be my demons, but you don't always control me!"

 _Just you wait dearie_


	3. Chapter 3: New Kid to Class

Chapter 3: New Kid to Class

My alarm goes off at 8:00. I need to get up, even though I was up late dancing with the stars. I hope the people of New York appreciated my display. I did restore the power after I was done. I do feel a slight twinge of guilt, but the demons have taught me that remorse is a weakness. So is love, but that's not why I broke up with him.

I hop into the shower and grab some breakfast on my way out the door. I don't want to be late again. The kids would never let me live it down. I call Alisa up.

"Hey."

"Hey, how are you this morning"

"Picture the Green Lantern movie, minus Ryan Reynolds with his shirt on, met Michael Myers and Venom from Spider man and they decided to make a movie and have me watch it with my eyes wide shut.''

"That still sucks, by the way were you affected by the power outage. Everyone says it was city wide?"

"Yeah I was but did you see the meteorites?"

"No, where were they?"

"Above our heads, where else?" I roll my eyes. "I'm wondering if they were the reason the power went out." I only say this to keep suspicion that I was the one who caused it. No one knows about my...abilities, just the voices in my head, my mom (too late) and myself. I figure it's better than being labelled as a freak or as a science project for every scientist in the world. I have good control of my powers and I only use them for little things like last night or when I seriously need to blow off steam.

"Maybe, but could you text me a few pics?"

"Sure, gotta go." I turn off at one of the intersections and head towards the daycare.

Suddenly, I realize that I forgot to bring a snack of the kids. I'd made it the night before, but the break-up made me absent minded. I pull up to the front of the building and make sure that no one's looking before I conjure up the container of blueberry muffins with blue icing on top. Satisfied, I grab my purse and bring the container inside. I run into a few parents on my way in and give them a warm smile. I go down the hall and am greeted with a roar of early morning noises, from cries for that toy to giggles over the latest episode of The _Backyardigans_. This stuff is like music to my ears, it's what wakes me up in the morning and has me feeling proud of my job.

"Hi Crisi!" a little girl named Amanda says to me. Crisi is my nick name for the kids, they're a little young to say Crystal. "What did you bring? Can I see? Can I see?"

"Not till snack time" I say, putting the bin on the back counter by the sink.

"Please, please, please." she begs, she's following me around like a dog as I hang my coat and purse in the back room. She's a kid with a sweet tooth and always loves the snacks I bring. She and I are kind of best buddies from this, she looks up to me and I see her as my little sister. She always wants to play with me and me to read to her. Poor girl has divorced parents and turns to me for comfort. I can almost fully relate to her, only my version is more sick.

"Amanda Knowles, you know those puppy dog eyes and pleas don't work on me"

"PLEASE!" She begs, about to bring the tears.

I lean down to her level.

"How about this, I'll give you two hints and after story time, you can come me with your guess and if you guess right, I'll give you the first one. Okay?"

"Okay." She's an eager little kid with tonnes of energy.

"Okay here's the first hint...healthy and the second hint is sweet, you figure it out." I pat her on the head head before going to the front desk.

Mrs. Bridges is the head teacher, I'm her assistant educator. She's okay with me, professionally, she does know about my past and treats me as an equal, most of the time. I proved them I was an avid worker with a trial run and I've got a good reputation, keeping my past under wraps. Personally, she hates my guts. She obviously hates that I'm even allowed near children with my background. She sees me as a cleaned up drug addict has been given too generous a chance. She thinks all drug addicts stay that way, so she's constantly routing through my purse, looking for some kind of crime to have me shipped off the prison. She probably hates me because the kids like me better. I can tell she tries, but she's too strict and traditional about how to teach the kids. I try different things, mixing healthy with sweet things, I make up a play kitchen for the kids to learn about numbers and adding and when they're done, I bring out the snack they would've made in real life. There's more than one way to teach kids.

"Ah, Crystal..." Mrs. Bridges says softly. "We're bringing in a new student today and I want you to get him caught up and do whatever you do to help him make friends."

"What's his name?"

"Brendan Anderson."

"Nice name, which one is he?"

"The little one in the back clinging to the stuffed frog."

I catch sight of him and give him a smile. The kid hides his face in the frog and pulls his legs up, trying to make himself invisible. I immediately can relate to the poor thing, but I know I can help him. He has dark brown hair and light brown eyes that scan the room frantically. His dark brown complexion is soft, almost chocolate like and makes him look adorable. When he catches me looking at him, he buries his face in the green frog he carries.

"Got it" I say.

"Alright, boys and girls please stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance."

All the children do as she says and I make my way to little Brendan. He hasn't stood up and just rocks back and forth in the corner. I wait until Bridges starts the lesson that I try to make contact with Brendan.

"Hi Brendan, I'm Crystal..."

The poor kid curls himself even tighter in a ball and holds his frog toy.

"How old are you buddy?" I ask in a gentle voice.

Nothing

"That's a nice frog, what's his name?"

He mumbles into his stuffed animal and keeps his eyes down.

I couldn't hear him so I take a guess.

"Ribbit?"

He shakes his head.

"Legs?"

"Hoppy"

The kid shakes his head once more. The little guy raises his head just enough to whisper the answer.

"Prince."

"Prince, like the story?"

He nods gently. He briefly looks at me before he curls back into his shell. He's got really cute eyes, big and brown and very curious, but he's special, I can tell.

"So if kiss him will he turn into a Prince?"

Brendan shakes his head and squeezes the toy harder, so hard I think he's going to squeeze the head off. Once the kids go to do crafts, I do the standard testing with Brendan, making sure he's capable of doing things like making sure he's able to zip his coat, counting and ABC's etc. I can tell he's a bright kid, just shy. He can actually add and read small books pretty well, impressive for a four year old.

"Where do you live?" I ask.

"By the lake, on the far side." he says in a small voice.

"That must be really pretty, do you go swimming?"

"All the time."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, just me, mommy and daddy."

"So you get lots of love?"

He doesn't respond

"Is that your favourite toy?"

"It's from my mommy, my real mommy"

"What do you..." I catch myself, not wanting to upset him.

"Can I see him?" I ask.

"Don't touch him! HE'S MINE!" he wails.

Brendan reacts instinctively and buries himself on top of the frog as if he's going to protect it from something. He immediately begins to sniffle. The entire room becomes quiet for a moment, staring at us, Ms. Bridges included, who shoots me a stern glare. Eventually, the kids lose interest and go back to their crafts.

"Hey, I'm sorry buddy, I won't touch Prince."

It's a that moment that Amanda comes up with her guess.

"Are they chocolate chip muffins?" she asks in a bright and cheery voice. I guess the new person was so overwhelming for Brendan that he gets up and runs back into the coat room.

"Brendan!" I say.

I have Amanda tugging on my sleeve, waiting for an answer and a freaked out kid with extreme shyness hiding and most likely crying his eyes out.

"No Amanda, but you're close...I...I need to go find Brendan okay? Uh, keep guessing, I'll be right back" I pat her on the shoulder.

I stand up from the table and go into the coat room. There is a neat rows of little, colourful rubber boots and raincoats.

"Brendan? Brendan I'm sorry buddy I didn't mean to try and take..."

There is a sudden eruption of noise in the main room. There is screeching and yelling, mixed with giggles.

"CRYSTAL!" Bridges' voice screeches out.

I feel torn, but one of the kids could be hurt, Brendan can wait for now. He'll be safe, he's hiding. I re-assure myself as I rush to Bridges' aid. Turns out a couple of kids thought it's be funny to glue construction paper to Jesse Tyler's hair and in a rage, Jesse dumps a bottle of glitter on the instigators and it just escalated from there. I spent the next half hour, trying to get glue out out of Jesse's hair and cleaning out several mouths that had ingested either paste or glitter in the fight. I then spent another half hour cleaning up the mess while Bridges took the kids outside. After that, it was story time and I ended up reading up two books to the kids. Then I had to share my snack and much to Amanda's delight, still got the first one, even though her guesses were wrong. I saved one for Brendan, but Bridges had me doing paperwork for the rest of the afternoon, and by then the parents came get the kids. By the time I was done, Brendan was gone. I know, I checked, twice.

At the end of the day, Bridges and I cleaned up and got ready to head home.

"Can you lock up?" Bridges asks in a sullen tone.

"Sure" I say, putting the stuffed animals in the bin. I know she likes to go home to her cats and her soap operas. "Have a nice night"

No response, but I shrug it off. I decide it's okay to finish the clean with you know what. It means I can actually get home at a decent hour. Once the cleaning is done, I decide to organize Bridges' desk. I'm sorting each kid's folder when I find Brendan's.

Do it...

"Guess who's back" I hiss angrily.

"I'm going to do it anyways, I have a right to know who I'm supervising..."

I open it up.

 _Brendan Naveen Anderson._

 _Born June 11th 2010_

 _Weighs: 43 lbs_

 _Height: 4ft 12 inches_

Pretty standard stuff. He has a nut allergy, but has an EpiPen for it, was chronically shy and an early suggestion of an anxiety disorder. I guess that can explain his off behaviour, but every kid is upset on their first day. I continue scanning and what's been bugging since he screamed and ran away from me.

Adoption papers. That's want he meant by his "real mommy." I guess he...

"Wait..." I notice a bunch of ink blots on the page.

"He was adopted at birth? Where are his birth parents? And how does a four-year old know who his "real mommy" is?"

 _How the hell should I know?_

"Wasn't talking to you" I hiss angrily.

 _No you're talking to yourself like the nut case you are..._

"Shut up" I mutter. "The kid's birth certificate is totally messed up, the only thing that's not crossed out is where he was born"

 _Maybe the adoption was closed._

"I don't think so, even then why would they provide the certificate if it's supposed to sealed. Why is it here then? Unless... unless..."

 _Unless what?!_

"Something just isn't right, I'm going to take a picture of it." I whip my phone out.

 _You know that's against the rules, the law_

"Since when do you care about me following the rules, this should be fricken Christmas for you?"

 _But I'm supposed to tell you what to do and when._

"Maybe you're losing your edge. Do yourself a favour, take the night off"

 _Not likely_

"Of course not, because I can't tell you what to do... Just shut up I can drive home in peace"

I don't hear anything else. Satisfied, I snap fingers and the desk organizes itself, including Brendan's folder.

I turn off the lights and lock up. On my way to the car, I zoom in enhance the only two legible things written on Brendan's birth certificate, his name and where he was born.

Storybrooke General Hospital.


	4. Chapter 4: Broken Bonding

Chapter 4: Broken Bonding

I'm on the way home, but I get stuck in traffic. It's basically at a stand still so I check my phone. 18 texts and 12 voice mails, all from...

Mason...

I toss my phone on the seat.

"We broke up, why is he calling me?"

 _What am I your relationship therapist?_

"No, but you are the reason I've had so many break ups?"

 _How the hell is this my fault dearie?_

"Stop calling me that, it's because of you that I go through this crap, it's because of YOU I can't connect with people, it's because of YOU that I killed my own..." I stop short.

 _There you go, embracing the dark side again._

"I don't have a dark side! I work with kids, I volunteer at the hospital, I even go to church! I'm not evil!"

 _Oh but you are... You can try all you want to escape the past, but it keeps... coming...back_

"SHUT UP!" I scream.

At that moment, the mailbox beside my car explodes. My windows shatter and flaming paper is scattered everywhere. There are screams heard and horns blaring in what feels like stereo sounds. I pull myself from my car and kneel to the ground to catch my breath. There are sirens in the distance now and I see a few people whipping their phones out to get photos.

This has happened before. I stop the flow of magic inside me in order to be normal for the day. I guess it builds up and even if I use it for little things to keep it under control and evened out, but it always comes back to bite me! Why does this happen? Why do I always seem to hurt others when I try to be good? This is how my mom died, in times of unimaginable pain and stress, I explode like a bomb. Fortunately, the only people that have been hurt is my mom, me and anything unlucky enough to be near me at the time. The pictures from last night and now this!

People are flocking the area now, several have tried to help me, but I've gently pushed them aside. The police and fire engines have shown up and they extinguish what's left of the mailbox. Some paramedics want to take me to the hospital as a precaution, so I let them. I basically tune out anything they have to say, I'm fine. These kinds of things don't hurt me, physically anyways. The doctor tests my hearing and eyes to make sure the glass didn't hurt me in any way. Once he gives me the okay I call Alisa, a recommendation by the doctor. He's worried that I might develop post-traumatic stress or something like that. Insurance will cover the damage to my car and the cops want to talk to me in the morning about what I've might've seen. I'm just wondering how that conversation is going to go.

I'm standing in front of the hospital waiting for Alisa.

 _Quite the light show you gave there_

"Shut up" I hiss angrily.

 _Angry with me are you?_

"I'm always angry with you, I've been angry with you since I was born!"

 _Really? You seemed so happy for awhile there?_

"Why the hell would you care?! All you've ever done is get me in trouble and taunt me after?"

 _Oh, but I do. You've never had a father, so I'm the father..._

"I never had a father. He abandoned my mom, betrayed her and left her."

 _Still believe that do you?_

"What are you...?"

Alisa pulls up. I hop in the passenger side and give her a hug.

"Are you okay?" she asks with general concern.

"Fine... just a bit shaken."

"Well if it makes you feel any better I'm never using a mailbox ever again."

I laugh at her joke and we pull out of the parking lot. I check my phone again.

26 missed calls and 43 texts, all from...

"What is his problem?" I say deleting all my messages.

"What?"

"Mason, he's stalking me electronically."

"Didn't you two dump each other?" she asks.

"Yeah, but when I said I never wanted to see him again, I kinda meant it."

"Maybe he's concerned about you, your name kind of came up on the news."

"But I'm fine, it was just a...whatever it was that exploded"

"Pipe bomb?"

"Maybe." I said.

I'm silent for awhile, trying to pull myself together. My hand begins to shake slightly, but I try to control it. I decide to change the subject.

"We have new kid at the daycare."

"Really?"

"Yeah, He's a cute kid but painfully shy. His file says he might have an anxiety disorder, he's adopted and probably has connection issues."

"Hmmm..."

"I tried to connect with him, but he flipped out when I tried to touch his stuffed frog."

"Kids can be pretty territorial about what's theirs. I had a ducky named Molly that I loved until is was rags, I couldn't part with it when my mom wanted to toss her. Raymond had a stuffed sheep that he called Woolly..."

"It's funny you know?" I ask. "It's the simplest things that we grow attached to and never want to let them go."

"Like the locket you wear?" Lisa offers as she stops on a red light.

My hand finds the gold chain and I squeeze the heart shaped pendant.

"It was my mom's..." I say softly.

"Sorry..." Lisa knows that my mom died two years ago, she doesn't know how. That is my secret.

 _Coming dearie!_

 _Stay in there or I swear to God I will make you sorry!_ I think to him.

 _So scary!_

 _Drop dead!_

"You okay?" Alisa asks, bringing me back to reality.

"Yeah, just shaken up." I mutter.

"Well, we're almost home, you sure you don't want to me to stay over."

"I'm okay, I'll be alright."

"Should you go to work tomorrow?"

"I'll be okay" I insist.

"Alright, home sweet home" she pulls into the apartment parking lot.

"Thanks I'll call you later." I give her a hug and hop out with my bag.

I take the stairs.

 _Biding my time._

"Shut up! You've caused enough problems without you being around."

I open the door to my apartment. The lights are on and the door's open. I see him sitting in a chair sleeping, with one of my magazines draped over his chest. I can feel the anger inside me.

 _Keep it in check..._

 _No dearie..._

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I yell.

He practically goes flying off chair in shock.

"I'm sorry did I wake you? Or was I spoiling the fact you're trespassing in my apartment?!"

"Sweetheart," he says.

"Don't call me that!" I say. "What part of never again do you not understand?"

"Crystal, I just wanted to see if you're okay."

"I'm fine now get out!" The lights above us start flickering. I have to keep it in check. My hand is glowing slightly.

"Crystal I think we made a mistake."

"The only mistake I made was deciding to let you call me sweetheart." Another flicker.

"Crystal please listen... I never cheated on you!"

"Tell that to your girlfriend!"

"There is no girlfriend."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I know who you are."

"You know nothing about me!" I scream, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I can't believe I ever asked you to move in with me."

"Crystal, I know who you are, where you're from, why your mom died!"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

The lights continue to flicker. I need to keep it under control. Mason seems to ignore the power shortage that I'm causing.

"Leave!" I say in a softer voice.

 _Do it_

 _NO!_ I snarl in my head. I used to love him.

 _You've never been loved_

"Crystal please... I know you have powers, I know more about your past than maybe you do"

"You're talking crazy, I don't have powers!"

"That would be a lot more convincing if your hand wasn't glowing purple."

I stare down and shove the purple shining hand into my pocket.

"Y-You're crazy!" I yell.

"Crystal, please I love you."

The lights flicker less and the tears stop for that moment. My heart drops for a moment and my shields come down.

Did he just say the l-word?!

It would seem so...

What should I...?

Get him...

"NO!" I collapse on my knees, hands on my head in pain.

Now I really want to rip my head off to extract the voices from my head. I've never had a boy say "I love you" to my face, let alone come back to me for any reason. I am a freak, I killed...

Mason tries to get closer and the power is blinking like a strobe light. My emotions have thrown my powers way out of control. I want them gone! I want to be normal, I want Mason or someone like him to say I love you. I curl up into the fetal position and just cry.

"Mommy I miss you..." I wail.

I feel strong arms pull me up and into a hug. The smell of his neck puts me off for a second, but some way, some how Mason braved my powers and knew what I needed. Usually this is what sends a man running for the door. It's partly the reason I'm unlucky with love, when I have overpowering emotions, these voices come back, I lose control of my powers and I blow it. Literally.

I think of my mother. The hole that can never be filled, a void that I...I made.

"I killed my mother..." I sob

"I know..." Mason says. "You don't belong here...you and your mom belonged somewhere special, some..."

"Don't talk." I whisper. "Just hug."

And he does.


	5. Chapter 5: Tears for the Truth

Chapter 5: Tears for the Truth

I wake up on the floor of my loft. I'm reaching out for Mason's arms, waiting to embrace his warmth, but all I feel is air. I push off from the floor and I'm alone in the empty apartment.

"Great" I mutter. "He tells me he loves me and then runs off. What is it with me and men?"

 _How should I know? Why do you always ask me?_

"Am I annoying you?" I ask with slight satisfaction.

 _Absolutely not._

"Sure " I say. Once in awhile I can annoy them enough to shut them up.

I walk across the living room into the kitchen. I see a table set with a plate of pancakes with strawberries and syrup. A cup of juice and a carton of yogurt for me. There's a rose in a vase and a note.

 _My lovely Crystal,_

 _Sorry I had to dash, but I made you some breakfast. Your favourite. I'll come by later to see how you're doing. I'll explain everything else tonight._

 _Love and kisses,_

 _Mason_

I can't help, but smile. He's from Britain and he's trying to use American language as best he can, but his accent is part of what made me fall for him. That and his polite demeanor and a bit about his looks, but I'm not that shallow. I sit down and look at the breakfast, he even put icing sugar on the pancakes just the way I like it. He really did think of everything.

I get that ridiculous feeling of excitement and blush really hard. Why did we even break up?

 _He was cheating on you_

"Shut up! No one asked you!" I snap. "Besides he told me last night he never cheated on me and that he loves me. No one's ever said I love you to me before."

 _How do you know it's love?_

"Because it's real." I smile to myself.

 _It's not real, it's only in your imagination._

"Like you are?"

 _I'm not imaginary_

"Sure feels like it, but I also know that you are too annoying and dark to not exist."

 _Glad we have a slight understanding_

"Why do you exist?" I groan.

 _I told you before, I am the father figure in your life. I'm also the darkness that exists in the minds of all people. Everyone has a dark side._

"I already know that." I mutter. "But do you have to exist? Why can't you go back into the dark realm from whence you came?"

 _Because as long he exists, so do I..._

"Who?!" I ask. This is entirely new information. I've never had a conversation this long with my voices...er...voice. I don't know who was I kidding, there's only one voice and always has been. I guess I made it plural to convince myself I had a legitimate medical condition.

 _Why should I tell you?_

"Because if you don't...I'll kill myself and you'll cease to exist too."

 _You think I'm afraid of death?...I am death. I am oblivion. I am..._

"So who still exists and if I kill him do I get my sanity back?!" I'm getting excited.

 _No you cannot..._

"Who is it?" I back track to what it said earlier.

 _Someone you'll never know personally if you deny your nature any further_

"I don't deny anything, I just hate that having these...abilities cause harm to others. It's revolting...like you"

 _You flatter me_

"Shut up. If I hear another word from you and I will put a bullet in my head."

 _So scary_

"You know you can't exist if you don't manifest yourself inside a mind."

 _Such words to convince yourself. You have nothing to threaten me with._

"Just shut up!"

 _What are you going to do?_

"I'm not going to work, my powers still might be on the fritz and the kids do not need to be in harms way."

 _Reasonable yet misguided._

"Mason's coming over later, but that leaves me with a few hours to kill."

 _Perhaps it would be best you become more acquainted with yourself a bit more dearie._

"And how am I going to do that?"

 _By opening that box your mother left you._

"No way." I can feel the tears start coming. It hurts too much to even think about her. She loved me regardless of what I did and I was the Devil's child. I was heartless and ruthless towards her, I felt that she was standing in my way of freedom and...

"Oh god!" I've gotten carried away again, let my dark side take over and when that happens...

My hands are glowing again and I'm levitating everything around me.

 _Embrace who you are..._

"But this isn't who I am, I love working with kids, I love my mom, I volunteer when I can and I..."

I break down and cry a bit, everything around me goes clattering to floor.

"Why does it hurt so much?! Why do I have to be this way?! I want to be my own person! I don't want these powers! WHY ME?!"

 _It's because of your father..._

"Who is he?"

 _Look through that box._

My heart drops and I know I'll have to if I really want to know who I am. A lot has been a mystery to me, not just about the powers and the darkness inside my heart, but where we came from, if we had an other family members, what my mom did before I was born and most importantly, who my father was. I'd always been told he ran off with another woman when he heard that my mom was pregnant. He never wanted the responsibilities that came with being a parent and he abandoned us the minute she told him. My mom always had tears come to her eyes when she talked about it and I knew then, like I know now that she loved him and it was too painful to press the issue any further. It's not like I was going to go and find. The guy sounded like drifter, the kind of guy who never had a steady job and slept on people's couches. I definitely thought he was scum bag for abandoning a woman who clearly loved him and was carrying his child.

I close my hands into fists and go over to my bulletin board that I attacked with the CDs the other night. I pull up the bottom half of the cork and look at the hole in the wall. I hid my mother's box here after I moved in. Obviously I was so depressed that I decided to hide it and pretend it never existed. I'm shaking slightly, it's so painful to be near it again. It's a beautifully carved wooden box that has her name, Lillian carved on the lid. It's covered in crumbs of foundation and dust. I bring the thing to my bed and sit down.

With careful fingers, I pry off the lid and look at the contents. There's a picture of me and my mom at my first birthday party, on the back of it says, Crystal, my miracle. I smile and begin to tear up. I miss her, I was her miracle and I betrayed her with my attitude. My name doesn't make any sense, Crystal, a precious gem stone which is supposed to be clear cut and pure, which I am neither that's for sure.

There's a ring on chain. It has a piece of pearl in and there's an engraving on the inside. I squint to read the message. Lily of the Valley, I guess Lily was her nickname. It's a nice nickname, being beautiful as a flower. I guess this was from my father or another loved one, maybe. It seems too special to be something she bought on-line or something. I find a bunch of straw tied in a bundle with a gold string. This gets me confused, did she live on a farm or something? Wanting to keep a piece of country life? I take a soft sniff and then put it next to the other things.

 _The master's product..._

"What?" I ask.

 _That straw was the master's product._

"Your master, he made straw? Was he a farmer"

 _No stupid girl, he used it, he treasured it like it was his most valuable possession_

"Why it's just a bunch of dried animal food?"

 _Foolish, foolish child_

"Shut up!" I hiss through my teeth.

I find a small bottle of something, a bunch of what looks like dust or dirt, only it sparkles in the light. I find an elaborate pin, a hair pin I think, carved elegently with a small pearl on the end. I find an old pocket watch which I can assume in an heirloom from her father or her grandfather. The one side has a carving of a rabbit on it. I pop the clutch and I notice how weird the hands of the clock are. Instead of being straight, they are curved like wavy lines. Time has stopped at exactly 12:00. I look at the lip and there is an inscription, I squint and see that it said, Madness is sanity. The last three things are a small ring of dried flowers, in the shape of a crown or necklace. I have to be very careful incase the dried petals crumble off. The second last thing is a book. More accurately a diary of some kind. Covered in worn red velvet. The last thing was a necklace in rather good condition, it is carved in the shape of heart, it's made of blue crystal. It's very beautiful and I have that urge to put it on. I want to be near her, but it would be disrespectful.

If I want answers, I guess this is where to find them. I feel a little uneasy about reading my mother's most private thoughts and hopes. Maybe she wrote about how she actually hated me as her child and wrote in here that she either wanted to kill me or give me up for adoption. Now I'm really hesitant, all her intimate details of her love life and dreams. She was an amazing mother and I loved her, I feel I'm invading the last piece of her privacy, her last piece of sanity. I swallow hard, but I need answers, I want to know who she was and who it was she loved and then abandoned her.

I open to the first page and begin reading.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _This is the start of an intimate relationship. I plan to write all my thoughts and feelings in here. My father bought this book for me for my 14th birthday. And it certainly wasn't cheap, it cost my father a week's salary to trade for this in the market, but he says that it is worth it. He knows how studious I am and he knows that I will go far, further than an average miller's daughter. I certainly hope so. I will write down all my dreams and wishes in here, although many wishes come true here in the Enchanted Forest. It is a lovely place to live, even though we don't have much. I must go, my father has made sweet cakes for us and I must go._

 _Thank you,_

 _Lillian Miller_

The Enchanted Forest? Was mom on an acid trip or something? That sounds like something from a fairy tale story.

"Where is the Enchanted Forest?" I wonder out loud.

 _Perhaps you should read on for more answers._

"There's no such thing as an Enchanted Forest, nor on any map would one exist. And she was a miller's daughter? What the hell is that?"

 _Read on_ , the voice insists.

Besides, she was only 14, I need something closer to her twenties, when she most likely got pregnant and met my dad. I flip through until I found a page that had the corner folded down. I guess she kept going back to this particular part of her life. It must be when she met my dad.

 _Dearest Diary,_

 _I write this entry with a heavy heart and ink made of tears. My father has dug himself the biggest hole and trapped me in it. He was a bar and got intoxicated enough to boast that his only daughter could solve the kingdom's financial problems by spinning straw into gold. This of course is preposterous, but the foolish king has bought it. He is offering wealth, jewels and an arranged marriage with his son if I can complete the task. You and I know the truth, but it is unlikely I will live to regret my father's foolish words. If I do not complete the task, both of us will be put to death for our dishonesty and failure. I feel like I'm in a dark void that is inescapable. I write this so that one day, someone might find this final entry and tell our story_

The passage ends there. I put my hands to my head and rub my temples.

"Mom was most definitely on an acid trip! This is all from the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale and that's just folklore."

 _Truth is stranger than fiction_

"She had to be high! There's no such thing as trolls or spinning straw into gold. That is scientific fact!" I say firmly. "But she seems to be so sincere. how can her life story sound like fairy tale?"

 _You should've suspended your disbelief before you started to read._

"What disbelief?! THESE STORIES DON'T EXIST" I holler. I don't think they...

I stare back down at the page, it seems incomplete, like she was interrupted, but why? I turn to the next entry, obviously she lived, she had me didn't she? And she only died two years ago.

I turn the next page. There is a bunch of dried straw between the pages and it smells like a barn. Some of the ink is smudged, but still is legible.

 _To my dear diary,_

 _My story has taken an unusual turn. I was in the middle of writing the last entry when a funny man appeared. He tipped his hat to me and was willing to help me with my dilemma. I was certainly taken aback and his appearance was slightly unnerving, but as you know, I had nothing to lose. He worked his magic and we worked into the morning light. We worked in mostly silence, but on the occasion, he treated me to a tale or two of his adventures. I listened and asked if I could write them down, in which he said no. Once the straw was gold, he said he must be off, but he did say there would be a price for his help. He asked for the necklace I wore. the one with the blue crystal. It belonged to my mother, something she gave to me at my birth. I was very sad, but I knew that it was a fair trade, my life for a precious stone. I reluctantly handed it over and with a wink he left. Before he did I asked for his name and simply nodded and said, "Call me Rumpelstiltskin, dearie"_

I drop the book like it's on fire and I started to cry. I must be going crazy, I pick up the necklace and stare at it. My mom was insane, she passed it down to me. I hear voices that sound like...

I'm shaking so bad, this can't be my mother's life. She is not part of a Grimm Brothers fairy tale.

For some weird reason the voice has stopped. For once...he has nothing to say. I lay back on my bed and shine the locket that contains my mother's ashes in front of me. A solid gold locket that opens to a picture of her and me. It hurts so much to revisit that night, the night she died in my arms. Roll onto my side and clinging to the locket, only using my hand to wipe away the tears.

"Mommy, I love you. I miss you" I whimper. I need you.

I can see my hand glowing slightly, not significantly. I guess my sadness isn't as extreme as it could be, meaning my powers are relatively under control. I wipe my eyes again and I touch the gold heart.

It's at that moment that I stop. There's something written on the front. It's very faint, but I begin to rub with my thumb, still moist from my tears. I rub a bit harder and I can see a name. I scratch slightly with my nail, just hard enough for me to read the name. Lillian

How come I never noticed this before?! My heart starts pounding, this has got to be a trick or I am losing my mind. I look on the inside and I nearly faint. Inside there is an engraving next to the picture. I love you today, tomorrow and always. R. The picture of my mother and me has vanished and in its place is a picture of young woman, my mother, joyful and laughing, her eyes alive and bright. I hardly ever saw her like that when she was with me, probably because of my behaviour. But what catches my is what looks like a man she's with, his skin is shiny and brown, his eyes are abnormal and his nose unusually pointed. He does not look human, almost troll like. I squint and realize that the picture is moving, like a movie screen. The couple is waving at whatever is projecting this image. They look... happy.

"Why'd you leave us?" I ask. "Did you hate her or just me?"

Suddenly the engraving and picture disappears and I drop it on the bed. The name is gone and it's back to the necklace I always wear.

"What the hell just happened?" I squeak, but again the voice is silent. At a loss for words...perhaps, but for once I want answers.

I pick up the heart again and open the clutch. The picture is the same as it's been for the longest time. I wipe the last of the tears and rub it against the surface. Nothing. What did I do to make it stop?! This was from my father, not a doubt in my mind, but this can't be...magic.

"Show me!" I yell at the necklace, but it does nothing.

"I want to see my mother again please" I beg to the object. Nothing.

I try to think back to what I did before and...

"I love my mother" I say.

The name re-appears and the picture inside is back. The two seem to be laughing and goofing around like young couple would. I stare at the man, he looks rather happy. I guess this must be my dad and the locket has some magic spell on it. I guess it responds to love, it which it true form shines through. I guess that's why I always saw my mother cling to the locket, to me, it looked plain and ordinary, but her...it was the key to her past. A memory permanently imprinted in what she loved.

I start contemplating the locket, my powers and everything else. May be the diary wasn't lying after all. I remember something my mom said when I was little and was asking about my dad. She got a sort of distant look in her eye and she twirled the locket in her hand.

"We fell in love like people do, but in the most unusual way. He helped me for three long days in exchange for small trinkets. We were quite mismatched, but with each passing day, we grew close. By the third day, we just couldn't part. He was so interesting and by then he wanted nothing in return except my love. He was supposed to save me from a life I did not want, being close to someone I did not love. I wanted a happy ending and he promised it to me. It was like he was a thief and he stole me heart. I was living in a fairy tale Crystal, in three days he came to collect the biggest price of all...my heart."

"Why did he leave us?" I'd asked.

It was then that my mother began to cry and ran up into her room, locking the door and leaving me to fend for myself. It was a long few hours before she came back out and acted like nothing ever happened.

I'd always thought that she meant she was living in a fairy tale metaphorically. Maybe it was all true, maybe fairy tales could be based on truth. Maybe. Right now I couldn't care about how or why this was possible, maybe in an alternate universe where dreams really do come true or something. But I had an answer to that long standing question. Who was my father? Who was my mother and who am I?

I am Rumpelstiltskin's daughter.


	6. Chapter 6: New Entry

Chapter 6: New Entry

I pick up the book and flip to where I was. I'm a little uneasy, realizing that I was the baby that Rumpelstiltskin wants in the story. I still have many questions, Rumpelstiltskin's story was written in the 1800s and this is the twenty first century. How did mom live so long? Is this supposed to be in some parallel universe or something? I assume the answers are here.

 _To my diary,_

 _Rumpelstiltskin came again last night. The king locked me in the room once more to prove that this was no trick. He came to my aid and only asked for my father's ring in exchange. The loss was not as great this time, once more we spun tales with the gold and on several occasions, he made me laugh. I have not felt this good in long time dear diary, when the kingdom was struck, it was struck very badly, the hardships grew for my father and I, but this... company made it seem so much better._

 _Am I crazy diary? Or should I believe that I could become friends with this imp...or troll...or sorcerer? I hear he is very feared, but I no longer wish him to be gone. Is this the beginning of a friendship?_

I start to get a little uneasy, knowing what will be coming. I'm praying Mom did not write in extreme detail about their so called "friendship."

I go to the next entry, this is the part where Rumpelstiltskin demands the first born child of the girl, but she's falling in love with him and already knows his name...A small part of me is praying that maybe the king that she was supposed to marry is my father, but with the magic I possess, I already know the truth.

 _Dearest diary,_

 _Last night was the final night that I was to spin straw into gold. Rumple came once more and I asked what he wanted in exchange, though I had nothing more to give. The imp said he must think about it for a little while, but that there would be a price. Once the final deed was accomplished, he asked me a interesting question, do I like magic. I answered justly that it can be desirable in good ways, but with a price that must be paid, it is complicated. He nodded and he wove a gold crown out some of the leftover straw and placed it upon my head._

 _"Not all magic is evil or complicated." he said with that cheeky grin. i felt myself speechless for the first time in my life. My heart began racing and his eyes stared down. He too seemed speechless._

 _"If I am magical? Would you find me desirable?"_

 _"It's not the magic that I find worthy" I said._

 _He nodded and leaned in close. And yes dear diary, he did kiss me. When that happened, my head exploded with all these colourful visions of hearts, stars, flowers, anything with vivid and colourful proportions. My heart felt like it would burst with happiness. When we pulled back, I noticed that his skin had lost its brownish tan and he looked more human. I suppose in the end, I made him more human. He said that he must leave, but I begged him not to. With small smile he said he would be there whenever I called his name. My heart was weakened when he left._

 _I am now in a grand bedroom, the wedding scheduled for the next week. I don't think I can go through with this now. All the king wanted was the riches and his son is equally shallow. I do miss Rumpelstiltskin much more than I thought, he may seem hideous on the outside, but he does have magic inside that it desirable._

I'm now more interested than ever, on what might happen, what would go wrong that would cause him to abandon us. I skip a bit after reading that my mother married the prince, the kingdom became wealthy, her father became wealthy but soon passed away along with the king of the kingdom, leaving her and her husband to rule. She may have been queen, but had Rumpelstiltskin as her most constant companion. I knew they would be getting closer and I want to skip the details about being intimate. I also read that she hated the royal life and wanted time to herself. She had always been a free spirit and wanted little responsibility. But the longer she stayed with Rumple, the longer she feared that the king would turn against her. It wasn't until that she realized that she was pregnant with Rumple's child, that she knew things with the king had to end.

"This must be where everything went downhill." I mutter.

 _Oh my dearest diary,_

 _What am I to do? The months are sliding by and the king is expecting an heir, but I do not want to be queen any longer. I want to be with Rumple, but now he says that the baby could be more of a danger to us than the king is. He claims that the child will be very evil, a devil child, the spawn of Satan, due to his Dark One powers. The child would be exposed to magic and become very dark, darker than himself. He had convinced me to be rid of it, give it to him when it is born, as the payment for the third night and that would be better for both of us. I begged him not to just abandon the child. He smiled and told me that he would hand the baby to the fairies and there the magic could be neutralized and it would be given to another family. He also did not want to bring scandal on to the kingdom and put me or himself in harms way if the baby was magical and the king found out. We would surely be be-headed._

 _That is until I felt the baby kick for the first time. A simple subtle movement in my womb changed the plan. This child is mine and dangerous or not, it is my only joy and I cannot be separated from it. I cannot end a new life before it has begun, but I am worried diary that if I keep the child, that Rumple will leave me. What can I do?_

Now it's getting interesting. I'm also extremely offended by what Stilskin called me. I was difficult as a child, but was I purely that evil? I shake the thought from my head, I volunteer, I work with kids. I do have a checkered past, but I was never the devil child. Or was I?

The next entry is covered with hearts and smiley faces. Something must have changed.

 _Oh happy day dear diary!_

 _I have come up with the perfect plan. We will not be separated after all, we can be a family! If magic is the problem, then I learned from a blue fairy that there is a world without magic, a place where others can live as average humans. I cannot wait to tell Rumple tonight. It is the anniversary of when we first met. I have acquired the portal traveling bean for the trip. Together we can be free of magic, I do know that he is also burdened with the curse of the Dark One. If we go together, we will be safe and the child will be ours to raise. I don't know what we will want to do after we step through the portal, but we shall work it out together._

 _I must go now dear diary, we agreed to meet in the garden tonight to exchange gifts. I brought him the bean and good news for the future, but a rare and valuable coin that I swiped from my husband, Rumple is a collector of very old things, and I'm sure he will be pleased. I must pack for the trip, of course I will bring you with me, you're as much my companion as the baby is. I only have a few other things I need that are mine, the rest is the kings'.The royalty life is not for me and certainly not for Rumple and our child. I want to record the new adventures that we will have in this new world and especially the baby's birth._

 _Good night and talk to you soon..._

 _Lillian_

I start to wonder whether Rumpelstiltskin did come into... I guess this world... Could he have seen another woman and run off with her? Did he actually look normal in this world? Is he still out there somewhere today?

The next section is unusually dirty and appears to have been wet at one point. The ink is smudged, but it is still legible.

 _This is the end of it dear diary,_

 _I've gone and done what I set out to do, but not the way I planned. My tears stain the pages of this book because I am alone. Well, not entirely, I still have my baby, but I don't have Rumple, the father. I don't know if I made the right choice with leaving him and coming into this bizarre, upside down world. I'm a pregnant woman with no hope for survival._

 _I feel that my heart is broken and the pain is excruciating . My father never warned me about the pain of a broken heart, I'm sure one day it will kill me. My heart is now an empty hole, torn out by my love. I should probably tell you the rest, not keeping you in the dark._

 _It was the night of our anniversary and I was prepared with the bean and the gift for my beloved gold master. I snuck through the royal garden and went to Rumple's castle. The doors were open, knowing he would be expecting me. I went up to his favourite room in the castle, where he loves to spin his gold. I just happened to hesitate at the door, making myself presentable when I heard him say the most awful things._

 _He was gleefully talking to himself, saying that the child I bear would be put away for safe keeping, in a coffin. He muttered something about a prophecy and how a child would be his undoing. I thought he meant another, but it was plainly clear to me, he meant my infant. His power had now been weakened with the pregnancy and the only way to get it back was to consume the child's heart._

 _That's when my heart was torn from its core. If this is how he wants to treat his own child, he must not really love me either. Tears began to stain my face as I wept. He heard me crying and asked if I was alright. I shoved him away, the monster, the wolf in sheep's clothing! I called him the monster he was and he tried to deny what he said, but I knew. I asked him the final question. Did he love me enough to have this child, our child?_

 _My soul shattered when he hesitated those few moments. His eyes darkened and I could see the truth in his eyes. I hurtled the prized coin at him and in the moment of pure rage, I threw the bean down and leaped into the portal. It was the only way I could save my child. The darkest blood in his or her veins. The Dark One's soul was as black as night. I'd never called him by what other's knew him by, The Dark One. I knew that he killed and destroyed before, but I thought he could change that our love was pure enough to look beyond the past and into the future. I did love the man and now my heart is broken. I only have you, diary, the treasures that the monster gave me and my child._

 _I landed here in a strange land where everything and nothing make sense. I know this is not the land the fairies told me about, it still has magic. I don't know if I will be safe and I am alone. I'm not sure if I will survive the next day, but I must try. I love the child in my womb and I want him or her to be free of the past and the monster. If I make it out of this strange land alive._

 _If this is indeed good-bye diary, I will say this, I love you, you've been my only true companion and you will always keep my secrets safe. You are like my child in my womb, a companion for life and I'm glad I've received you._

 _If this is our last good-bye._

 _Your friend always,_

 _Lillian_


	7. Chapter 7: Soulless

Chapter 7: Soulless

I lean back again and let the shock sink in. My mother loved me the most, she was willing to leave the bizarre fairy tale land that supposedly exists to protect me. She loved me more than him and gave everything to protect me. And what did I do? I turned around and I killed her!

I begin to cry on my bed, I curl up into the fetal position and shake like crazy. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday.

I had come home from the local police station, after being busted for loitering or whatever. My mother came to me and began to yell. I knew this wouldn't last very long, but this time was different. She had been crying before and her energy seemed off in more ways than one. I, being the stupid teenager I was, began to fight back, trying to hold my ground. I told her she doesn't own me and never will. She screamed about how I needed to grow up and make something out of my life. I guess this last arrest was enough for her to tell me she's had enough and wants me to shape up. I begin to scream obscenities at her, something I regret with a passion, but she fired back. It got so intense that I though the roof would be blown off. For what happened next, I'm surprised it didn't.

That's when the nightmare came true. The evil voice in my head told me to end it all. I felt some kind of energy flow through me and I lashed out, grabbing my mother with the dark energy. Objects in the room began to float around, aimed at my mother, who the energy was lifting her off the ground like she was a rag doll. She hovered above me, in a state of panic. She began to scream about how could this be happening. The energy that surrounded was pitch dark and flowing with evil and revenge. I held my mother suspended in the air and she was begging me to stop. I understand now that this is what she was afraid of and why she came here in the first place. The magic. The thing that would make me the spawn of Satan and truly evil.

I could see the pain in her eyes as she begged for her life, yelling that this wasn't me. I was better than this. I don't know what she saw on my face, maybe pure evil, but the voices were so overwhelming that I began to squeeze the life out of her. I'd never felt power like this and I'll admit, I was afraid, but the voice made it seem like it was easy and all I had to do was embrace the darkness.

What happened next happened for the worst. I just happen to look down and I saw that my mother had been doing. Putting a photo album together. I saw the picture that I'd saved in the box and some kind of wind flipped it over and read that I was her miracle.

At the that moment, the most unimaginable pain went searing through me. I couldn't describe what it felt like, my limbs were being hacked off. My body felt like it was being torn in two. The voice began to overwhelm me and my head felt like it was about to explode. I felt helpless, as if this power was possessing me now. I'd given into the darkness and now it had control.

I yelled NO! Through my throat, I wanted to scream or my mother, but I couldn't say anything else. It felt like all out war in my body. I was being struck by red hot lightning, determined to destroy me. The voice became so loud that I wanted to tear my hair out. I could feel the tears burning my face. I tried to scream again.

I wouldn't kill the woman who loved me and I loved her. It took every last bit of strength that I could get to release my mother from the evil's grasp. Let the evil take me not her. Everything became dark, but these glowing purple flames came into my vision and I knew I was going to burn. I collapsed on the floor and tried to scream for my mother for the last time. I knew at that moment that I was going to die. The power I had was strong, but so was the love for my mother. I didn't want to be like this, but the voice was so persuading. I've known for a long time that the things I did were wrong and I hated myself for doing them. This is not who I was and now I was abut to be destroyed. Despite the mangled visions, I could think. I knew I didn't deserve to live any longer as was evil and I deserved to die. I saw a pair of red eyes appear in my vision and the voice began to cackle and I let out what I was sure was going to be my last scream. A sudden rush of energy burst through me and everything went black.

I couldn't feel any longer and I was sure that I was dead. It was black and cold. I felt no pain, no anger, nothing at all. The blackness of this void rushed over me with slow burning fire. I couldn't breath and I couldn't move. If this is what death was like, let it take me. I'd done so many evil things that I knew that I deserved whatever the afterlife had to punish me with.

It wasn't until I heard my mother sing that I opened my eyes. Had I killed my mother too and we would go to the afterlife together? I began to weep, but my mother's voice was strong enough to pull me out of the darkness.

When I opened my eyes, my mother was beside me singing my favourite lullaby. I could feel the tears burning my eyes and I felt her soft hand against my cheek, pushing the hair behind my ear.

I said "mommy" and she smiled. I used what strength I had to crawl to her and she put her arms around me. I wept in her arms saying all sorts of apologies. I knew that I was going to die, but the afterlife wanted to give me a chance to say good-bye to the one I loved most. My mother kept singing, but I noticed her voice was frail and I could feel her chest shaking, like she was struggling to breath. I turned into her body and I saw the blood seeping through her shirt and onto the floor. I was lying the blood with her. I felt a jolt of strength and I pushed up to try and help her. It was my turn to beg for her to stay with me. I scrambled to find the phone, anything to help her, but my power had been so strong that everything had been burned or blown away. the house we were living in was just a hollow shell. The walls were blackened and many things had been turned to ashes, everything except for this hard knife made of black stone. I don't know where it came from, maybe I made it myself, I'll never know, but it had lodged itself in my mother's stomach. I was crying harder than ever before as I wanted more than anything to help save me mother. I looked for something, anything to patch her wounds, but I found nothing.

It was then that my mother grabbed my arm and told me to lie with her. I told her I was sorry and I never felt so helpless in that moment. I'd killed my mother and she was going to die. I begged her to hold on, I could try and get help. She reached out and pulled me into her arms and told me that she was glad that if she was going to die, that I was in her arms. I told her I was so very sorry and she said she understood, that it wasn't all my fault. I decided to ask her the question that had always kept us apart, who was my father?!

She said nothing and I realized how stupid I was to ask her. I cried and told her I was scared. She said that she would always be with me. I could hear the shallowness in her breaths, knowing and hating...for what it means. I said I loved her again and I hugged her so hard I never wanted to let go.

She whispered that she loved me and this is the moment I would never forget. I felt her last breath against me and could feel some sort of energy around us. I didn't want to open my eyes, knowing that my mother was gone. But this energy seemed to surround me with a warm glow and eventually I did open my eyes. I saw what looked like a golden human form float above us. It had my mother's shape/silhouette and it said the last words of I love you, before floating through the roof and into the sky, vanishing forever.

I was left there with my mother's corpse, heartbroken and with new assumed powers. I did cry for a long time, but I knew I had to leave. I made an impromptu funeral, wrapping her in a blanket and cremating her with a lighter. I took her ashes into a box, grabbed what had survived and fled. I think I may have run out of the state, but with the money, I paid for my mother's ashes to be encased in the locket that I now always wear.

I turned my life around then, cleaning up, sobering up and becoming responsible. Of course I was scared, I was fifteen and on my own. I'd dropped out of school and had little workforce experience before then. I finished school and got jobs in several cities before this one in New York. I like it, but I still feel out of place. Now I know I probably don't even belong in this world according to the diary. I'm the infant that Rumpelstiltskin wanted and this is my life.

I spent the rest of the day waiting for Mason and practicing my powers. I just brought objects back and forth and made the room glow purple. I also read more of the diary finding out that my mother knew about my mood swings, my bratty tantrums and my hateful attitude. But above all else, she hoped that we'd avoid the magic part. Everything else she could handle. She understood and spilled her stresses into this tiny book. The one thing I can't bring myself to read is the final entry before IT happened.

Eventually I manage to put the book away and put the heart-shaped crystal around my neck again. I got it for my first birthday, but hid it after what happened. I read the entry on the date and I found out the reason why my name is Crystal. She thought that I would be beautiful and pure now that I was free of magic, but that pretty much went to hell along time ago.

I fix myself up a bit, waiting for Mason. I apply some eyeliner and mascara. I'm about to put on lipstick when I realize what I'm doing. The guy supposedly cheated on me and we broke up because of it, but here is saying that he's in love with me and that he wants me back. He also supposedly knows about my past. I start to wonder what character he is and what story he belongs to.

The door opens to my loft and I see Mason's bright face light up the room. Or maybe that's just my powers messing with the electricity. My heart is beating really fast. His shaggy hair shines in the light and he grins when he sees me.

"Hello love!" he says cheerily. "Sorry I had to leave you, but work and all."

"That's fine..." I say. "Come and sit down." I offer him a seat next to me on the couch.

We sit sort of awkwardly for a moment and I ball my hands into fists, trying to keep the glow from showing.

"How to start a conversation that'll make me sound like a I'm absolutely crackers?" Mason says.

"I think I'm a little more up to speed than you think." I offer. I take a deep breath, when you're alone this doesn't sound as insane, but with another, I guess Mason said it best. It makes us sound crackers.

"How much?" Mason asks.

"I know that I am not part of this world...at least as far as I know I don't belong here. I know that I am the infant that Rumpelstiltskin wanted in the fairy tale..."

"That's the thing!" Mason says with excitement. "These aren't fairy stories because...they really did happen. They are the truth"

"See this is where I'm confused. A lot of these stories were written in the 1800s or earlier and yet here I am, the infant, who is at the ripe age of eighteen. Is there some time paradox I should know about?!" I mutter.

"No, something far more magical" Mason stands up and faces me.

"The magic bean?" I offer.

"Yes exactly, the magic beans from the Jack and the Beanstalk story create portals that allow individuals to travel to a different worlds, this one included."

"So there really is a fairy tale land with knights and dragons, mermaids and trolls under bridges?" I whisper.

"Yes, all the fairy tale characters are real... including..."

"Rumpelstiltskin." I say.

"What? Well yes of course, but Snow White and the Fairy God mothers and..."

"Take a step back." I say, rubbing my temples to sort my thoughts out. "And I should probably tell you that Rumpelstiltskin is my father..."

Mason's smile drops like a stone when I say this and he takes a step back.

"Pardon?" he whispers.

I pick up my mom's diary and flip to a page. I hold it up to him and allow him to read it. I can hear his breath catch in his throat and he takes another step back. I get the feeling there is a hell of a lot more that Mason knows about my father.

I hear and almost growling like sound gather in Mason's throat and he stares at me. I allow my hand to glow.

"The one thing I feared that you would not get from him." Mason whispers.

"If we're talking about the double personality disorder and the dark magic, then yes, I got it from him."

"A fate worst than death in many ways." Mason says. "He is the most darkest of sorcerers, known as the dark one, he's killed more men or any creatures than one can count."

"He did have a soft spot if he loved my mom." I point out.

"But he did abandon you..." Mason says.

"And planned to consume my heart to re-gain his full power."

Mason's face contorts in horror when I say this and I point to the book if he wants any further information.

"It was pretty upsetting and forced my mother to end up going through the portal to get away from him."

"Many people wanted to get away from him."

I decide it's time to ask him.

"So..." I say. "What fairy tale are you from?"

Mason looks me in the eyes and then out the window of my loft. He then looks down at his shoes.

"I don't know..." Mason says.

"What do you mean?"

"I was found in the woods when I was only few days old. I was found by hunters in the woods out in Southampton, England. I was put in the adoption system and was bally well thrown from home to home."

"Why?"

Mason swallowed hard and looked down at his shoes again.

I get closer to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I've always felt that I don't belong here. I'm so different from others."

"I know the feeling..." I say, leaning my head against his shoulder. "No one can understand what we've been through. You feel neglected and that the world is against you."

"But the question is..." Mason sighs. "How do we go back?"

"You have a magic bean?" I smirk. "That's how we got here."

Both of us I can't believe how unusual we sound talking about these fairy tales like the real. The thing is that they are real, as far as I know? My powers are certainly real.

I start to wonder what kind of things I can do with my powers. I picture really hard what I want and snap my fingers. Into my hand, appears a chocolate bar, Mason's favourite to make him feel better.

"Can I offer you something sweet?" I ask softly.

"How did you know Bournville was my absolute favourite?"

"I paid attention when we went out." I smile at him. "Not everything went to hell."

Mason slides his hand into my grasp.

"Why did we ever break up?" I ask, squeezing his hand gently.

Mason is silent for a moment and nibbles on the chocolate.

"Sweet as you." he smiles.

"I never want to let you go again." I say. "You're my sweet little boyfriend."

He laughs and takes a small bite of the chocolate again. I shut my eyes really hard and conjure up some sweet and sour gummy worms, my favourite candy. When Mason looks up at me and I put one end of a gummy worm in my mouth and offer the other end to him. He picks up on it and grabs the other end in his mouth. We slowly make our way through the worm until our lips meet in the middle. I slide my hand down his face and cup his chin, pulling him closer and we kiss harder than ever before. We both taste like chocolate and gummy worm. He runs his hands through my hair and I link my arms around his neck told him even closer that I'm practically on his lap now.

I feel normal for once. I feel passion and lust that any person might feel for another. I don't know if my powers will interfere with my passion, but so far, they've been quiet. Our lips never leave each other and we fall backwards on my bed.

 _I want him... I need him... I give in to this love I have for him..._

Then everything became easy.


	8. Chapter 8: Aftermath

Chapter 8: Aftermath

I wake up with a large smile on my face. I've never felt so amazing in my life, which is a first for me since I've had more than my fair share of lows points in my life. I've never felt so amazing. I may have lost something last night and I'll never get it back, but it was with someone I love...Love.

I can finally say the l word and not be uncomfortable. For me, I know it's true. I haven't felt true love since my mom died. Every guy I've dated since then were just re-bounds, but Mason is the real thing. My heartbeat soars when I'm near him and I can't wait to see his big brown eyes again. I am in Love!

Last night was amazing and I don't regret a thing. Mason and I truly love each other and last night was proof of our passion and commitment to each other.

I roll over, hoping to see Mason still asleep next to me, instead I find bare sheets, cold which means he's been gone for awhile. I manage to find a slip of paper in his place. I open it.

 _My lovely Crystal,_

 _Sorry I had to depart so soon. I loved our time last night and I wanted to be here when you woke up but I had a urgent business call early this morning. It is imperative that I go, if we want to have a possible future together. I'll be gone for about a week, but then I will come back and hold you in my arms again. I'm sure you will discover more on your own, but I will be there to help you. I promised you the truth and I will keep it._

 _Until then..._

 _Love_

 _Mason_

I give a small smile. I'm slightly hurt that he just took off so suddenly after the night we just had, but he did mention in his letter that he wants to secure a future for us, which means he will be back.

I get up and stare at myself in the mirror. I look a little different this morning, but I can't quite put my finger on how. My hair is a mess and I'm covered in sweat, yet I feel amazing. I don't want this feeling to leave me, but I know I need to go back to work.

I clean myself up, use my magic to create a snack for the kids and head on my way.

Once I reach the daycare and enter the classroom, Amanda comes up to me and wraps her arms around my legs.

"Crisi! You're back. Where did you go?" she asks. I pat her head and slowly peel her off my legs so I can make it to the back room.

"I wasn't feeling good yesterday so I stayed home." I explain.

"What snack did you bring?!" Amanda asks. Some things will never change.

"Amanda..." I say, playfully scolding her. "You know you have to wait."

"Can I guess?" she asks.

"Of course and if you guess correctly, you get the first one."

"What's my hint?"

"It's sweet and sticky." I smile and go up to Mrs. Bridges' desk.

"Crystal..." she says in surprise. I can tell she's peeved at me for practically dropping off the map yesterday, I didn't even call her to say I was sick. "Nice to see you back."

"Sorry." I apologize. "I had a nasty migraine yesterday. I could hardly get out of bed and spent most of the day in the dark."

I can tell she's having a hard time believing me, but it seems pretty logical. I've never really missed work before without a legitimate reason so she lets it go. I can tell she's suspicious of whether I've taken up my drug or alcohol habit again.

"What you can do is help little Brendan make some friends, he's hardly said anything to anyone and keeps the frog to himself."

"I tried to reach out to him, but he booked out of the room as if it were on fire."

"I suggest you try another approach." she says and walks off to start the morning's activities. I watch carefully as the kids have music time. Mrs. Bridges passes out the instruments and leaves a xylophone in front of Brendan for when he feels like participating. I realize that Mrs. Bridges is not even going to try and engage the child, figuring that she has nineteen others to worry about, so it's my job to help the black sheep, feel welcome and work with them. The kid doesn't even look at the instrument and cradles his frog tightly. I go over and sit down next to him.

"How are you Brendan?" I say softly.

The kid doesn't answer, he turns away from me and hides his frog.

"I'm sorry that I tried to touch Prince, he's obviously very special to you."

Brendan nods, but doesn't look at me.

"Don't you want to make some music?" I ask, offering him the baton for the xylophone.

The group begins to play to the tune Ring Around the Rosie directed and accompanied by Bridges on the piano. It's obvious that the number of four/five year olds and instruments you can bang, blow or play, it's mostly just noise, more like a racket, but it's important for all the kids to feel included and learn the names of the different instruments. Brendan is less than enthusiastic and puts his hands over his ears. I, myself, am not thrilled with the noise, but I can hear a rhythm, beat or tune in anything. To little kids, this is music and they are the stars.

I gently bang on the xylophone, making a soft pinging noise. I play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star for Brendan, but he doesn't even look up at me. It's then that I start to notice the bruises and scratches on Brendan's arms. At first, I assume, that all kids gets bumps, bruises, scratches or cuts when they play. I get a little closer to Brendan and look at the bruises more carefully. These markings are a lot darker than the ones that come from bumping your knee against the door. The bleeding underneath the skin is more significant. When I get even closer to the kid, I see the bruises on his neck, they seem to look as though they are hand prints, small blotches where the fingers could have been.

Has this kid been strangled before? I think to myself

I reach out to touch one of them and Brendan gets up and runs into the back coat room. I look up at Bridges, who's ready to end music with the kids and shakes her head. She needs my help here when two of the kids start to beat each other with two little flutes. We separate them and send each off for time out. We then do story time, before Bridges takes the kids outside for half an hour. I decide that since Brendan and I will be alone, I'll try to coax the kid out, make him see that I want to be his friend.

I turn on the light in the back coat room. I decide to try a more subtle approach, let the kid come to me first because me coming to him is definitely not working. I sit down in the back bench, not even bothering to look for him. Let the kid hide, if it makes him feel safe.

I start speaking in a soft voice.

"Don't you want to go out with the other kids?"

No answer. I'm not expecting answers from him, especially if he's scared.

"It's beautiful outside, great day to play tag or ball."

Silence.

"My name is Crystal Lillian Miller. I was named after my mommy."

Silence still.

"You know I don't have a real mommy anymore either. She went to heaven to be with Jesus. But like you...I always carry around something that was special to her...make me feel like she's never really gone..."

I take the locket from around my neck and look at it. it's hard to share my story with a kid I hardly know, but if I try to build up trust with him, he might just come out of his shell.

"I know Prince means a lot to you too. I wish I had something soft and cuddly like that. All I have is a necklace that I always wear. This way I can remember her."

I don't hear a sound for awhile and I guess the kid is pondering.

I decide to do something difficult.

"I'll tell you what Brendan. I'll let you touch my locket. I'll let you wear it and you will feel protected and feel my mommy's love too. You know it means a lot to me...but you mean a lot to me too. If I give you the locket, will you come out and play?"

Nothing.

I set my locket down with a shaky hand and turn to leave. I turn the light off and go join Bridges outside with the kids.

I watch two kids chase each other laughing and giggling all the way.

"Crisi! Crisi!" Amanda yells. "Come play fairy princess with us!"

"Okay." I say and jog over to them.

We start re-enacting a scene with fairies, dancing and playing. I start thinking about where we are from. Some place called The Enchanted Forest, according to Mason, and if only these kids knew that the fairy tales they like reading were real. That the ferocious imp is my father, magic and everything. I'm not sure how many other fairy tales might be real, princesses, fairies, crocodiles that eat clocks, talking animals, big bad wolves and so on. It's so hard to comprehend that everything is true and the shock is still sinking in for me.

The kids and I play until Bridges calls the kids in.

I don't see Brendan for the rest of the day. I serve the watermelon slices and I save one for the little kid who is so scared to come out and play, it's concerning. I keep the kid organized and entertained, telling them of an upcoming trip to the aquarium. I arranged it myself and I thought it will be fun to immerse the kids in learning and give them a change of scenery. Bridges is skeptical, but

The kids start leaving at 3:30 and Bridges insists that I clean up the classroom since I missed yesterday. I roll my eyes and let her go. Besides Brendan's guardian has not shown up yet, so I figure with less kids around, I may get something out of him, maybe a smile.

I'm sweeping the craft area when I hear a soft noise behind me. I keep sweeping, not wanting to startle the kid. I pretend I can't see him and throw away the craft material.

The kid's tanned face peeks out from his bright green frog and with a shaky hand, places the locket on one of the tiny desks.

I look at him with soft eyes. His dark brown eyes look up at me in fear, but also curiosity. I put the broom away and go in slow steps to the small desk. Brendan takes a few steps back, but remains in the room, clinging to Prince. I kneel down and take the locket.

"Did the locket protect you?" I ask gently.

Brendan shakes his head.

"I'm sorry it didn't work for you but you have to believe in its power for it to work."

"Why?" he asks.

"Because if you don't believe then it won't work. If didn't believe in magic or anything, where would we be as people?"

Brendan doesn't answer. He slinks back a few more steps.

"What are you scared of? I'm not gonna hurt you."

Brendan shrugs.

"Why are you so afraid? None of the kids are gonna hurt you. What about making some friends?"

Brendan shrugs again.

"Did you just move here?"

He nods.

"I see, I know it's hard to make friends, but you won't go very far if you're always hiding."

"Hiding is safe." Brendan replies.

"Safer huh? What do you need to be safe from?"

There's a hard pounding at the classroom door. Brendan jumps in surprise and pulls Prince to his face. I go up and open the door. A tall skinny woman in a pinstripe business suit stands there with a phone in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Her face is plastered in makeup and dark red lipstick and she has a pair of eyeglasses that magnifies her dark eyes a large percentage. She hardly acknowledges me at all, eyes on phone and Bluetooth in ear.

"Can I help you?" I say, trying to get the woman's attention.

"Yes, I'm here to pick up my son. Usually the Olga the nanny came but's she's sick today, even though it inconveniences me and my boyfriend." She stares past me. "Brady let's go."

"His name is Brendan." I offer helpfully.

She locks eyes with me, her eyebrows creeping together.

"Brendan get your bag."

"Yes Julia." he says softly, wincing.

"MOTHER!" she snaps.

"Yes, mother..." he whispers, trying to fight tears. He goes to the back of the room and I decide to grab his mother for a time alone. I shut the door so we're in the lobby. She's not paying attention to me, her eyes locked on her phone.

"Um mm... Mrs..."

"Miss, my husband and I are divorced." she snaps

"I'm sorry Miss..."

"Gallagher."

"Miss Gallagher, I was hoping to have a minute alone with you to discuss Brendan."

"What about him?" she says, hardly looking up from her phone.

I'm extremely annoyed that she's ignoring me. With a strong amount of pressure I bring the phone down from her face.

"Pardon me Miss Gallagher I'd like to speak face to face."

She pulls away from my hands.

"Alright make it quick."

"Your son has some concerning...traits that I'm worried will impact him when he goes to kindergarten in the fall."

"Boarding school" she interrupts. "Brady is going to boarding school."

"Sorry, boarding school, your son is extremely shy. He refuses to play with the other children and spends most of his time hiding."

"Is that so?" she says, eyes periodically going back to her phone.

"Yes and he has a concerning amount of..."

"Excuse me I have a call." she says. She holds her hand up in front of my face to block me out of her vision and presses her Bluetooth. It takes everything inside of me to not yell at her.

"Gallagher And Partners Firm. What do you want?"

I can feel the frustration inside me growing. I keep my hands clenched to prevent the magic from coming back up. I try to calm myself inside, thinking of Mason and the night we had.

"Brandon let's go sweetie Mother has to go back to the office." she barks over her shoulder.

Brendan shuffles out in shoes, backpack, coat and frog in tow. His mother hardly even looks at him as she checks some schedule on her phone.

I kneel down to Brendan's level and lean in.

"Hold out your hand." I whisper.

He hesitates, reluctant yo do anything. With a shaky hand he does so.

I put my locket in his palm.

"This will protect you." I say.

He opens his mouth and closes it.

"Believe Brendan, believe and it will protect you." I smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Brendan's chocolate brown eyes look up at me in fear and desperation. He doesn't want to go, he doesn't want to stay, there seems to be no safe place for this kid.

I pat him on the shoulder.

"Keep it safe." I say.

He nods and his mother snaps her fingers as if her son is a dog. He follows her, holding onto her pinstripe skirt instead of her hand like any other mom would do. Brendan steals one last glance at me before disappearing out the door.

I stand up and I realize I'm shaking. Whether in anger or not, I can't tell, but that kid is not happy and won ever be happy if he lives in fear and a home of neglect. He deserves better than this and boarding school?! What kind of parents sends a chronically shy child to that kind of school. My palms are starting to glow slightly in rage. I take a few deep breaths, but the anger is not fully extinguished

This kid deserves so much better!

I use magic to clean the rest of the clutter up and I head for home. My hands are gripped tightly on the steering wheel the whole way home. I can feel myself fighting tears. I get to my apartment and lay down for awhile.

The one good thing is that since I've accepted my powers, the voice has not come to me at all and I'm forever grateful for that. The demon in my head is resting...for now.

I get up and go back to my mom's diary and start reading again, finding any little detail I can, get to know her life as a Miller's daughter and mother...

I begin wondering about my father, the troll, Rumpelstiltskin and where in the world this Enchanted Forest is... Another dimension most likely, like what Mason said and we need beans apparently to travel in between these dimensions. Magic beans? Weren't they from Jack and the Beanstalk?

My head begins to spin over all the complications and part of me wishes Mason was here. He left me a voice mail saying he wishes he was here, but he's so busy he can't chat for long. He says he'll be home in a week and that he loves me. I really need him to simplify things for me. All of this fairy tale stuff is a lot to take in...

Something suddenly perks my interest. I put the diary down and go over to my large bookshelf. Sorting through the volumes I find a book of fairy tales, something my mother used to read to me when I was young. I remember the stories fondly and can recall Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin were my favourites. I see the connection now, I did connect to be bastard of a dad on some level. I start to shake slightly, thinking about him and his dark powers. How my mom gave her heart to him, only for him to crush it, forcing her to jump into a world that was not her own, carrying his child. A child that would be a problem...a child that would be her undoing.

Tears well up in my eyes and I feel extremely sad. I don't have my locket any more because I gave it to Brendan. My neck feels kind of bare without it. I don't want to be separated from her, even though she's gone.

Suddenly, I remember something. I take the book over to my bed and dig the box out. I open it and find the heart shaped, crystal blue necklace out. It seems to glow in my hands, my powers might be activating it in someway. I can feel the warmth it provides as I pull it up behind my head. It is beautiful, something that once belonged to my mother, bringing her back to me.

The heart seems to glow brightly once I let it hang down. I feel strong, I feel warm, as if my mother is wrapping her arms around me, giving me a kiss and telling me she loves me.

The tears fall as I sit on the bed again and open the book of fairy tales. I go to the inside cover and I see something written.

I lean in closer and squint at it. I recognize the hand writing.

 _To my baby Crystal,_

 _May you find all the answers for wonder and hope here. Just remember that life can be like a fairy tale, all you have to do is believe..._

 _Love_

 _Mommy_


	9. Chapter 9: Let It All Out

The next few days I try to get Brendan to open up to me. He comes to the daycare with my necklace hanging around his necklace and Prince under his arm. The other kids are none the wiser and don't tease him. I smile at him and greet him. I encourage him to participate in the other activities. He does music time with us and goes outside, but he still won't socialize with other children.

Bridges is getting insistent that I help this kid out, but you can't force a kid to make friends. It has to happen on its own. I tell her my hands are tied in that. Maybe too tied to do anything for this kid.

Every day, Brendan stays with me after hours because his so called mother is late. I usually just let the kid play with what he wants and eat any leftover snacks I'd brought. I really want to talk to him about the bruises on his arms and neck, but he never answers when I ask what happened. I definitely wanted to confront his guardian about how she's treating him. She seems so wrapped up in her own issues to pay attention to her son. It angers me immensely and every day I have to watch this vain and selfish mother treat her son like nothing, plus shipping him off to boarding school just to be rid of him. Now I have nothing against boarding schools, but it's just that it's no place for a painfully shy child. He'll be eaten alive and ridiculed by everyone, making things worse than they already are.

I decide to bring up this issue to see if Brendan is looking forward to it. He sits at Bridges' piano, looking through sheet music. I'm filing paperwork at the desk, keeping an eye on him

"So Brendan, your mom tells me you're going to boarding school in the fall."

"Yes..." he says softly.

"Do you want to go?" I ask, wincing.

"No." he answers.

"And why is that?"

"Too far away from home."

"Did your mommy say why you were going?"

"No, but she doesn't love me anyway."

I put the paperwork down and stare at the kid.

"Don't say that Brendan, you know she loves you very much." I say this as convincingly as I can.

"No she doesn't and she's not my real mommy. She loves Gordon more."

"Who's Gordon?"

"Her boyfriend. He's a Richie man, he has lots of money and that's why she loves him more than me."

"Brendan..." I say seriously. "Stop saying that! Your mother loves you a lot."

"No she doesn't! If she does love me, why doesn't she kiss Prince and me good night, or read us books. That's Olga's job!"

"Who's Olga?"

"My nanny."

"Is she..." I stop and gaze at the bruises on his neck and arms. No kid should have marks like that at any point or know what violence is at this age.

"When she gets mad she yells and hits things." Brendan says. I can see that he's shaking in fear. I rush over to him and sit next to him.

"When she gets mad, does she hit you?" I ask.

Brendan bursts into tears and nods his head. He puts his hands over his face and weeps. My heart melts for him...he's been through a lot being only five and he understands more than he should. I hug him out of sympathy and love. At first he freaks out, unaware of this comforting gesture and pushes against me. He grabs Prince and moves away from me. I guess he doesn't get hugged very often.

I cautiously put my arm around him, gently as to not to hurt him. Once he recognizes it as a gentle gesture he leans in and cries some more.

"It's okay Brendan...It's okay." I repeat to him. This is all I can really say. It's not okay, not by a long shot, but the kid needs love and attention right now, something he never gets at home. He continues to cry.

"It's okay." I say. "Let it all out."

He wails and yells for a long while, having all the pent up anger and hidden sadness come to the surface and flow down his face. What's even sadder is that this is all he's ever known in life. He's never been hugged, held, told that he was a good boy, read stories at night, played with...no wonder he's so shy. He's afraid of making connections because the only ones he knows are frail or broken, why would his friends be any different?

He eventually grows weary and the tears become less and less. I grab a Kleenex from the desk and help clean up his face a bit, get rid of the runny nose and sticky tears. He lays in my lap for a long time, cuddling Prince.

"I wish my mommy was here." he says softly.

"Me too."

We sit in silence for awhile.

Eventually I start playing with the keys a little bit. I've never really learned how to play, and only know basic tunes.

"I can play!" Brendan says excitedly.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, Olga takes me to church on Sundays and they teach me how to play."

"Do you want to play for me?"

"Yes!" he says with an eagerness I've never seen before.

I slide over on the piano bench and he takes his position. He puts Prince beside him in preparation. He begins to play. He's good...for a five year old of course, but he seems so focused and that one his face, it looks nice, he looks like any five year old should.

I listen to his playing, music spilling from his hands... he has real talent and I can tell he enjoys it. It's nice to see something that makes him happy.

I give him a side hug and get up, back to the paperwork accompanied by a soundtrack.

Eventually he grows tired and goes after some of the other instruments. He picks up a ukulele and strums it. I guess to him it's a guitar.

"Next year, Carol promises to teach me to play the guitar." he says excitedly.

"You'll be a great musician." I say.

"Carol thinks so."

"She's right, you will be." I smile.

His mother comes to pick him up, hardly looking up from her phone. I've given up on trying to keep her attention on Brendan's situation, it's clear that she couldn't care less about her son.

I go home in a whirlwind, angry, upset and confused. I try to research ways to get children out of custody if abuse is suspected or neglect. I try to find out more about Brendan's family only to find stuff about Gallagher and Partners Law Firm, and how is the fifth highest grossing law firm in New York. Julia is the specialized in divorce cases, which doesn't surprise me because she's been married four times. She's also the leading partner and she took over the firm after her first husband's death. He was quite old, which doesn't surprise me much that Miss Gallagher to marry rich. It only mentions that she has a small son who is kept out of the spotlight for privacy reasons.

It's clear to me that this woman is oblivious and the worst parent ever and I wonder why she even adopted Brendan in the first place. The kid needs love and attention and it's clear that neither her or the nanny are giving it to her.

I want desperately to call child services, but my finger pauses over the call button... If Brendan is removed from Gallagher's custody, he'll be given to another relative, unless he's adopted... then he'll go into foster care. Sometimes, foster families work out, sometimes they don't, but I made doubly sure that I didn't get tossed into the foster system after my mom died, it would be pointless to stay for two years until I was legally allowed to live on my own. My options were get job and live alone, move in with total strangers and pretend they're my family or confess, get arrested and live in prison for the rest of my life. So it was a no brainier for me.

But still, foster care is better than being in an abusive household...maybe I'm over thinking it.

Eventually I stumble across another problem...proof. Sure I've seen bruises on his arms and neck, but... that doesn't seem to be enough these days. They want recordings or photos and I'm not allowed to do any of those things with this kid. Plus I'm also not the main supervisor and to convince Bridges is like trying to convince someone to jump off a cliff. I'm stuck...at least for now.

Over the last few days, I've been getting vague texts from Mason... He apologizes constantly for being away and promising that answers will come. I try responding to him, but then I get nothing.

I'm not suspicious...maybe a little, but he told me he loved me and that night we had... Is that enough these days to prove fidelity? I can be jealous sometimes, but I've never had a reason to be because most of my relationships go down in flames before any sure commitment can be made. I just can't shake the gut feeling that he's either in serious trouble or trying to let me down gently.

The thought of him leaving me causes my heart to ache. I finally found someone who loves and cares about me as is not a full blown creep and now it feels like he's drifting away and staying away.

I trace the air with purple light, making circles and then spelling his name in the air. I miss him...I need him...

I spend the next few nights lying awake and trying not to cry.

The day comes for the aquarium field trip. When I get to the center, all the kids are buzzing with excitement and Bridges is trying to get everyone together. We make sure there is a head count, each kid has a partner/buddy, name tags and a backpack. Due to his anti-social behaviour and odd-number of kids, Brendan is paired with me, which seems to suit him just fine. It's nice that he trusts me now, but he should try to make friends...or at least try. He holds Prince in one arm and holds my hand on the other. My locket bouncing up and down on his chest as he walks to the bus.

On the bus ride there, I sit Brendan next to Amanda, wondering if her bubbly personality and friendly nature will allow Brendan to trust her. Her chatty disposition seems to put him off, all he does is nod when she asks him questions.

The aquarium is quite big, about two stories high and the entire front of is is made out of glass. there are pictures of different aquatic species pasted all over, as well as children's drawings and plaques with information on them. The place is packed with tourists and tour guides of all shapes and sizes, all with their cameras out. A blonde tour guide who calls herself Adrian has all the kids line up so that pictures can be taken with one of those instant print cameras. Brendan doesn't smile, of course, but he at least doesn't hide his face behind Prince. Bridges hands the pictures to me and I put them in my purse.

The kids are so excited and energetic, they run from tank to tank, pointing, squealing, laughing and teasing each other. Our tour guide puts on the brightest smile and goes through her regular touring duties, but she enjoys the kids when they ask questions and want to move on. Her patience, like ours, is endless for them.

Bridges does her best to lead the pack and keeping them in line, but it's like trying to herd cats. Amanda is right in the front, holding Adrian's hand and chatting away. Brendan and I bring up the rear together. He's still uncomfortable around the kids, but at least he's not running away to hide anymore. He holds my hand with comfort and every so often squeezes it. I'm not sure if it is to reassure him or me.

When we get to the tropical fish area, Adrian stops us and explains the different exhibits. I encourage Brendan to go up to the tanks and get a closer look at the fish after she's done and other the kids are ready to move on. I watch him with a heavy heart as he lifts Prince up to the see the rainbow coloured fish. I know he's trying his best to smile, but it's still hard. He's still trying to avoid making friends.

Eventually Adrian and Bridges want to move on but Brendan begs to stay a few more minutes. I tell them I'll stay with him and we'll be along shorty. I lean against one of the tanks as Brendan goes around, showing Prince everything.

I'm staring at the Angelfish tank, watching the delicate little fish swim around in endless circles. I'm enchanted by them, tempted to use my magic to make it even prettier. I put my hand on the glass and smile. I feel kind of like the fish right now, trapped behind the glass, unable to do anything. I have to watch Brendan go home every night and most likely be abused, all I can do is observe, no one can hear me, but they can see me. I also feel like this is how Mason is treating me, putting me behind glass to cut me off from his world and his secrets. My heart sinks a bit more, no one else can see my sadness.

I suddenly feel a tug on my pant leg. I look down and Brendan is looking up at me with those wide brown eyes. I lean down so we're eye to eye.

"What's up?" I ask.

Brendan hands the locket over to me.

"Here..." he says. "It's protected me and now it will protect you."

I take it back, fighting back tears of gratitude.

I kneel down and pull the kid into a hug. He seems stunned by this, probably because he doesn't receive any affection at home.

When I pull out, I smile at him.

"Thank you..." I say. "Did it protect you?"

Brendan nods. "Yes ." he whispers.

"Did you believe in it?"

He nods again. "It's magic. It helps people who have love in their hearts."

My heart stops when he said magic... I don't know if he figured out how the locket works or... Then I realize that kids say things are magical all the time. Anything amazing or even electronic is magical. I smile at him and put the necklace around my neck.

"You and your mommy are very pretty." Brendan adds.

"Thank you." I say.

"Did your mommy go to heaven?" he asks.

I'm surprised yet again. I'd never told anyone that my mother had died, I just said she was travelling and most people believed it. And yet, here is a five year old child who guessed my mother's fate on his first try. Quite dark for child to ask.

"Yes...yes Brendan...my mommy went to heaven."

"I'm sorry...My mommy left me too." his head droops in sadness.

I kneel down and lift his chin up so we're face to face.

"Brendan...You're mommy didn't leave you..."

I pause. How do you explain adoption to a five year old?

"Your mommy loved you so much that she wanted you to have the best life possible, so she gave you to a family who would love you more. She wanted to give you your best chance at becoming... who you want to be..."

"She was wrong!" Brendan says. "No one loves me even more, no one! This life is no better" He's starting to tear up. "She loves me! I know she's a princess in a far away kingdom and she's wondering where I am! I know she does! She loves me!" He crosses his arms and stomps his foot. I've never seen this side of him before, he seemed like a very quiet child and to see him express rage is unusual.

"My real mommy loves me and always will. She's looking for me and she'll find me and take me far away from here."

"Oh Brendan" I sigh and hug him again. I'm at a loss for words, what to tell a child who was adopted... I'm just surprised that he doesn't say that his mother doesn't love him if she gave him away, but he is stead fast that his mother is looking for him. I tear up, I don't have the heart to tell him that adopted children hardly get to see their birth parents, at least until they are old enough to be considered adults and even then it's hard to track them down.

I stroke his hair and tell him.

"Your mommy does love you and and she always will. She just wants you to be safe..."

Brendan sighs softly, maybe re-assured or maybe at a loss for words. I let the kid calm down, no one should go through abuse or discovery of adoption at such a young age. Kids are supposed to have normal lives of toys, books and games. Even now we're on a field trip, a place to learn and have fun, but all this kid can think of is his mommy... Part of me wants my mother right now...

Eventually, Brendan wriggles out of my hug. He looks up at me and smiles.

I playfully ruffle his hair and I let him walk to join the rest of the other children.

My phone suddenly goes off. I assume that it is either Alisa or Mason, who is long overdue for a report about when he's getting back from his business trip.

I unlock my phone and scroll down to the new message.

It's Mason.

Dearest Crystal,

I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm afraid our relationship is not going to work out any longer. Complications have arisen and I don't want to string you along any further. I know that you will find the truth about your mother and father someday, but I cannot help you any longer, you need to be safe and that is not with me.

I will always love you.

Mason

I drop my phone to the ground. i can feel my heart snapping in two. My hands begin to shake.

He's left me! Dumped over a text message?! How...how...?

I want to collapse on the floor. My eyes burn and my throat wells up so much that I can hardly breath.

He said he loved me! We were going to find answers together and we even...

I'm so devastated that I can't move at all. Tsunamis of emotion wash over me, trying to drown me. Sadness, betrayal...anger...

Anger. At first I was angry at myself, wonder what I did to chase him away. Was it my powers? He seemed okay with them and even braved them to get to me a hug me. Did I not love him enough? Gradually, I build up the rage towards him. He's just like every other guy I've met, a relationship waiting to become a disaster! I guess I never meant much to him at all, breaking up with me in text message, I guess I was an idiot. I lost a precious aspect of myself a week ago, to some one who dragged me through the dirt and threw my heart under the bus. What a bastard!

I can feel my temper and blood pressure rise, I feel my dark side coming back in again in full force. My hands start glowing purple and tears burn my eyes. I put my burning hands to my face and push my hair up. I'm shaking all over and I feel the strength in me drain to nothing. I don't even care who's looking at me, this is what heart break feels like, real heart break.

I suddenly feel everything begin to rattle around me. The locket rattles against my shaking body.

I try to run outside, since there's glass all around me, but it feels like my legs are made of cement, each step is agonizing and I'm not getting anywhere. I fight with all the strength I have in my body, I need to get away from other people, if the mailbox is any indication, people could get hurt.

I weave through the halls, trying to escape.

I make it to the front lobby, barely holding in the mounting pressure inside me. It's like trying to keep a cork on the volcano. A tour guide and receptionist stare at me as I pant and wheeze. I put my hand on the front desk to stabilize myself my hands are hot with purple light radiating from them.

"Crystal!" I hear behind me.

It's Bridges and she's mad.

"Crystal come here, I need you now, you can't just wander off and..."

I can't tell where she is, my mind is overwhelmed and my powers are unstable

"Crisi are you okay?" Amanda asks.

I feel a tug on my pant leg. I can't bear to look at her. My eyes follow to her worried expression next to me, Brendan is also there, smothering Prince in his arms.

"Ma'me do you need some water or medical assistance?" The receptionist asks.

Tears are burning my eyes and my throat is swollen shut. Minutes pass in anguished silence as I try my best to collect myself, but it hurts so much. The power inside me is too much for me to handle, the room seems to shake around me as I wipe sweat or tears or both from my brow.

"Ma'me! Are you okay"

"Crisi what's wrong?"

"Crystal get over here."

"Crystal are you wearing the locket?"

"Get an ambulance on the phone..."

"Crisi, why is your hand purple?"

I clench my fist and bolt for the door, I manage to just make it out into open air when the energy bursts out from me!

It's as if the time freezes for that brief moment as the energy bursts forth from its threshold. I go down to my knees in slight relief, but the sheer power and magnitude of the outburst causes the windows of the building to shatter. Screams ring out and car alarms go off, creating a flurry of noise. I can feel myself crying as I kneel on the street. I know what I've done, I just hope nobody is hurt.

My heart is throbbing in my chest and I feel little relief now, all my strength has gone out from under me. The pavement is cracked significantly where I kneel. This has to be the most powerful blast I've ever created and it's done some damage.

I turn up towards the aquarium building and my heart stops. Brendan and Amanda are crying, obviously scared out of the sudden event. They are unharmed by the glass or the force of the wave of energy, but their little faces break my heart as they look at me in confusion and distress. I'm sure they are now afraid of me, wanting to go to me for comfort and grasp at the fact that their supervisor has magical powers and just unleashed them in public. Brendan especially seems devastated, for once, he actually dropped Prince from his arms.

The sight of them is enough to tell me to run. I don't now where, but just to run. The secret has been blown wide open and after what I did, there's no turning back. I get up and start running, each of my legs feeling like cement blocks, weighing me down. My strength is slowly fading with each step, but I have to go. There is now a gathering crowd and sirens on the background. Tears are now pouring down my face as I fight through the crowd to get away. to hide my face, to protect other people.

As I get further and further away, people stop staring at me, trying to take my picture. I run all the way back to the daycare in no time and I climb into my car. I turn on the ignition and drive away.

At this moment, I've never felt so scared in my life.


	10. Chapter 10: Here

I'm pushing the speed limit most of the way home, at least I'm trying to. My car keeps shorting out because of my powerful freak out. It stalls, the radio short circuits, the wipers go on, the break fails, it's amazing that I get to my place in one piece.

I slam the door and the street light outside my apartment building flickers. I stare at my hands. they're glowing purple all over and I can feel the power burning through me. I feel so helpless. I clench my hands into fists and head for the building.

I make it up to my room and the door swings open for me.

My powers are out of control. The lights around me flicker and things begin to rattle on the walls.

I'm scared now...really scared...when I'm scared...

 _Miss me dearie?_

"NO!" I scream to myself, falling to my knees. Instantly the power cuts out completely and all the windows shatter. Tears are streaming down my face in agony.

 _WHY?! Why me?_ I think to myself. I was doing so well for so long and then...

 _Embrace the dark side dearie. It is who you are..._

 _IT'S NOT WHO I AM! I AM A GOOD PERSON. I HAVE FRIENDS, I HAVE A JOB, I HAVE CONTROL, I HAVE LOVE._.. I yell into my mind

 _You seem to be lacking in those last two departments dearie..._

"Shut up and bite me!" I hiss.

I get up, knowing that people will be asking questions and trying to investigate what the noises are.

 _What will I do?_ I moan in my head.

 _Only thing you can do..._

 _Run!_

I charge for my bedroom. I grab a bag from my closet. I start shoving clothes into it, as much as it can hold. I pack the necessities like tooth brush and comb. I grab back pack too and shove all my personal things in there. The framed picture of me and my mom, the blue crystal necklace, my mom's diary, the box of personal items, anything within reach.

I feel so shaken and so scared, I'm about to run away, with what little I can. I've done it before, it feels like deja vu! The last time I did this, I was running from the damage my powers had done before and that included taking a life. This time around no one was hurt, but something could happen.

 _I have to run..._ I keep saying to myself as I scribble down a note to put on my door for my neighbours and landlord. It's a really lame lie, but it's buying me time, it's all I need.

I empty my fridge and decide to throw it all out. It's not like no one is coming back here anytime soon.

The lights are still out and my hands still glow purple. I'm freaked and can't hold it much longer.

I take one last look at my apartment...my home, my sanctuary, it's all about to disappear. I say my silent good byes, tears in my eyes. I can see outside that it's starting to rain. Lightning is flashing and thunder is rumbling. Whether I caused the storm or not, is unknown, but at this point I'm not surprised. I leave the key for my apartment, grab my bags and shut the door.

I stick the note on the front and turn to leave.

That's when I hear footsteps and voices coming up the stairs. My heart goes into my throat! I can't run the other way... I can't run past them because I might hurt them...

 _GET ME OUT OF HERE!_ I scream in my head

I shut my eyes and brace myself, knowing something is about to go down.

Suddenly, cold water splashes on my face and I'm so shocked I have to catch my breath. I'm standing outside in the rain with my bags by my car.

I'm so confused and over whelmed. There's no way anyone could have not seen me... I can't run that fast either. Was I ever really in my apartment at all? Was it all a dream?

"Did I just do that?" I gasp.

 _What is yet to be seen lies beneath the surface..._

A clap of thunder snaps me back to my present situation. I throw my bags in the trunk and start up the car. It's running better than before and I turn on the high beams to cut through the pouring rain. I take one last look at the apartment before I speed off.

My heart is slowly breaking inside and I guess the initial shock of what's happened has faded. Mason has dumped me and I nearly hurt Brendan and Amanda. Two innocent kids who I loved and cared for, they saw the monster inside me.

 _I'm too dangerous now..._ I sob. I need to get away.

Tears are now streaming down my face as I'm able to cry openly for the first time. My car malfunctions again a bit but not as much because I assume that I'm no longer hiding my inner feelings, I'm embracing them. My heart is torn in two as I turn the corner.

I can't really see where I'm going in the coming darkness and the buckets of rain, but I don't hit anything. I can't see anything anyway, my eyes are burning and my throat is closing up.

 _Is this who I am? A monster, a danger, a threat?!_ I ask myself.

 _I don't know dearie... I don't know..._

It's been several hours of endless sobbing and moping in the car. The rain has not let up at all. The only real change is the scenery. I no longer see the city lights or hear the sounds of the city. I'm in the country side, going by trees and wet green fields. Something so peaceful and I'm the complete opposite.

I have no idea where I am, but at this point, I couldn't care less. The pain of...everything hurts so much that I can't think straight.

I keep driving on, no direction, no destination.

The voice inside me is quiet, pondering something maybe...

I just feel so out of place, like I always have and I guess that's because I'm not of this world. I'm part of some Enchanted Forest, wherever the hell that is? Would it be better than here? Would there be others like me with the freakish powers? Would they be safe around me?

Would they accept me?

I let my instincts take over and I feel a tingling in the back of my mind. it's not the demonic voice, more like a soft and gentle whisper. I can't make out what it's saying, but it's like...

 _Come Crystal...Come..._

It's faint at first, hardly audible, but I want to know what it's saying. I continue to drive in the direction that I think it's coming from. I make wild twists and turns or maybe that's just how the roads are.

 _Come Crystal. Come, Come, Come..._

"Where are you?" I say to myself, making a sharp left turn into a deep forested area.

 _This is where you belong... with us...with us ...us..._

Like a bad cell phone signal, it slowly gets stronger as I drive on.

 _You belong here..._

Soon the voices become clearer and stronger. I continue to drive in the pitch and rainy dark. The only light coming from my head lights, like two white eyes staring out into the infinite blackness. I go up a few hills and around a few bends.

 _Almost there... Almost there..._

I start feeling a little relief, now that something is guiding me. I start to feel more secure and comfortable. The tears on my face are drying up. If I keep focusing on these voices, they help me forget everything else. I don't know why I'm following the voices in my head, but the words are so reassuring, I know I'm on the right path...

 _Here, here...drive forward..._

I look up into the rainy and darkened sky. Many trees begin to become more frequent until they completely block the sky. The woods I'm driving through are thick and very close together. They almost seem like walls that might close in on my car. It puts me a little on edge, but the voice beckons to me...

 _Just a bit more. Look up_

I squint and in the distance. I can see over the horizon the lights of a town. I sigh with some relief, knowing my gas is going to be gone soon. Maybe they have a place to stay.

Suddenly I feel a wave of sheer power...sheer magnitude wash over me. I'm filled with...I can't really describe it... It's not scary, but it's not fully enjoyable either.

My hands start glowing slightly, but I'm no longer scared, sad or angry. I'm at peace.

The lights grow closer until I can see a small town nestled at the edge of this forest. The rain impairs a lot of my vision, but I can tell this place is a quiet and quaint I doubt they would've heard anything about my news in New York...not that it matters...I'm not going back...I can't.

I pull onto what I think is the main street, in the shadow of an enormous clock tower. I blink a few times. This place seems familiar, like I've been here before...? I can't quite explain it, then again, I can't explain anything right now.

I slow to a crawl as I try to peer into some of the little shops, but can't really see much.

It's then that I realize how exhausted I am. I guess I've been running on pure adrenaline for awhile and now my body has finally worn out. The anger, the seismic power waves, the sadness, it's taken it's toll. I'm almost on empty anyway and nobody's going to up and around at this hour. I decide to hit the sack and worry about everything else in the morning.

I pull up into a parking space and climb into the back. I use my coat for a pillow and pull a blanket over myself. I listen to the gentle pounding of the rain against my roof. It's sort of lulling and comforting, I snuggle under the blanket and hold my locket in me hands. The warmth and security makes it seem as if my mom was hugging me good night.

As I slowly drift off, I hear in my mind...

 _Here..._


	11. Chapter 11: Strange New Land

I hear a knock on my window. I jolt up from my slumber and roll over to face a unfamiliar woman peering in at me. I climb up into the driver's seat and roll down the window.

"Morning" I say, letting out a yawn.

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" the woman says.

She has long blonde hair that reaches over her shoulders. Her eyes are green and has fair skin. She has on a brown jacket over a white t-shirt. I see a gun hanging from her hip and sheriff's badge. I put together the pieces and sit up a bit straighter knowing she's part of the law. I gather my bearings and turn to face her.

I suddenly blink. My vision becomes weird. The woman's face fades and becomes almost completely white, no eyes nothing, just pure whiteness. Her entire body seems to glow white, a soft white and I...can I see her heart beating? Her heart is red, a deep red, but with hints of black along the edges. The muscle blinks with every heart beat. I blink hard again and rub my eyes, but the illusion remains.

"What the matter?" she asks.

I swallow, clenching my fists slightly, I take a deep breath and turn back, everything is normal... sort of. I can feel my powers acting up, my body has become warm and the familiar flow of powerful energy is back. It's as if this woman's presence is activating something inside me. This is strangely familiar like the similar energy I felt just after my mom died and the golden human shape that drifted up into the sky. It feels...weird, but right.

"Nothing... thought I... saw something..." I lie.

"What are you doing here?" she repeats.

"Would you believe that I got lost?" I offer.

"People don't just 'get lost' around here."

"Where exactly is 'around here' ?" I ask.

"You're in Storybrooke, Maine."

"Maine, Sheesh, this isn't some Stephan King inspired run down small town haunted by a demon clown that looks like Tim Curry is there?"

"No...no demons or clowns or Tim Curry." she says.

"Damn, I really wanted his autograph." I mutter with a smirk.

"Your license plate says your from New York." the woman says.

"Yeah the Big Apple what about it?" I ask.

"How did you even find this place?" she says to me, mystified.

"Why is it hard to find?"

"Very, unless you're..."

"I'm what?" I ask.

"Nothing. Are you planning to stay?" she asks.

"I...guess so. I wasn't really planning that far ahead to be honest."

"You're running from something aren't you?" She says, her eyes lasering as if she can see right through me like I could a couple minutes ago.

I bite my lip and deciding to be completely honest with this woman.

"Yes...yes I am. How could you tell?"

"I can read people... It's my gift."

"Thought so..." I say. "So do you know any good places to stay?"

"There's Granny's restaurant and motel just up the street."

"Thanks...?"

"Emma...Emma Swan."

"Swan..." I say, hovering over the word. "Like from the Twilight franchise?"

"I guess, I never read those books."

"Good, don't read them unless you're into romance." I smirk.

"And you are...?"

"Crystal...Crystal Miller."

"Crystal... pretty name." Emma says.

"Why thank you." I smirk again. "I'll just park over here so you don't give me a ticket."

"That would be preferable." Emma nods.

"Thanks, I just need to time to think things through."

"We all need that, well if you're ever looking for a familiar face, I'm Emma."

"Thank you... Emma"

I start my engine and pull up and over into a nearby parking lot. I can see that she's staring at me in my rear view mirror. I guess this small town doesn't get many visitors. Which isn't that weird, it is in the middle of nowhere, in fact, I'm surprised I managed to find this place.

Once I park in a legal spot. I get out to stretch my limbs.

The town is really quite beautiful. Simple but elegant. In the center of the town is large clock tower showing the hour. The shops are mashed together side by side, each displaying a different display in their large windows. There's a psychiatrist's office as well as a club nearby. I continue walking along towards where Emma directed me to and I see a few kids run by on their way to school I suppose. A man with short ginger hair that is receding slowly with age is walking a Dalmatian on his way along.

"Good Morning" he says in a cheerful voice, nodding to acknowledge my presence.

"Morning..." I say softly.

I rub my eyes, was he glowing just like Emma was? I can't tell anymore, I think I need something to eat before I do anything else. A light green...I think. I shake the thoughts from my head and continue walking.

What is wrong with me? Why am I seeing these lights? This has never happened before, but if it is part of my powers, why is it showing now? Why with all these people? Is there something about this town...?

I go over to the restaurant, passing by a small patio. The bell greets my entrance as well as many staring eyes. I guess visitors aren't that common in this town, which isn't surprising. I stare back at them, feeling completely on display. Haven't I been considered the freak long enough?

I find my way to a booth and slide in. I busy myself with finding a menu and pretending to read it. I can still feel their eyes on me, like they're burning holes into my body.

I do my best to ignore them. I just want to be the stranger right now. With my powers unstable

A boy comes up to me and sits in the booth across from me.

"Hi." The boy says.

"Hi" I say looking up from the menu.

He's a cute boy, about 14-15 at most, with a sort of awkward disposition, but a cheerful smile. I'm a little surprised he's being so forward, up and coming. You'd think most people would be wary of strangers, especially in such a small town.

"I've never seen you here before." he says.

"I just got into town." I answer. "What's good on this menu?"

"Uh, Granny's cheeseburger is pretty good, but my favourite is the double bacon cheeseburger."

"Right well, I guess I'll have that then."

"I'll get Ruby over here." he says, raising his hand to a tall girl with dark black hair, streaked with crimson locks, dressed in exposing clothing and a waitress's apron.

"Ruby..." I chew on the name, committing it memory. Another gemstone name, they aren't that common.

She comes up to us, pad of paper and pencil ready.

"New face." she says, looking over me.

"Yes." the boy answers. "She just came into town." He turns back to me. "Are you visiting someone?"

"No." I say. "I sort of...kind of passing by and decided to stop here"

"Well welcome, hope you enjoy your stay. If you want, my grandmother also manages a motel."

"I'll think about it." I say, smiling as earnestly as I can. "I'll have a strawberry milkshake, chocolate for the gentleman here and the bacon cheese burger."

"Coming up." she says, writing down.

As she walks away my vision begins to blur over again. A different coloured light engulfs her body...a crimson colour. Her heart looks normal, but beats irregularly, as if almost like a different species would. A silhouette appears inside her outline...an animal... a wolf. I tuck the information away and look back at the kid. A glowing aura appears around the boy that melds into his body. His light is a bright yellow, but with a strong beating heart. His heart is something special, bigger and brighter than any of the others that I've seen today... I think. His silhouette suddenly is filled with cursive words. I rub my eyes again and shake my head out. Eventually, his face comes into focus again and everything is normal...for now.

"How did you know I liked chocolate?" the kid asks.

"Doesn't everybody?" I shrug. I look across at him.

He's a curious kid, special but I can't really say how... not yet at least.

"Where are you from?" he asks.

"New York." I answer. "Before that I lived in Chicago, Connecticut, Colorado, Canada."

"So basically any place that starts with C."

"Pretty much." I sigh.

"I'm Henry by the way." he says, offering his hand out.

I take it and shake it. "Crystal, Crystal Miller. Nice to meet you"

"Crystal, nice name."

"Thank you, my mom picked it out."

"Thanks my mom named me after her dad."

I look carefully at him. His smile and disposition is just like...

"Is Emma your mom?" I ask randomly.

Henry's eyes go wide.

"Uh yay, she's my birth mom. How did you...?"

"Wild guess, your smiles are quite similar and you have the same shape of face."

"When did you meet my mom? You said you just got into town."

"She's actually the one who found me asleep in my car. She's the one who told me where I was."

"Did you get lost last night in the rain?"

"I think so...it more like escaping?"

"What did you download?" Henry jokes. I smile.

"Nothing...uh complications at work and I just got dumped." My face flushes in embarrassment.

"Ah...emotional road trip?" he offers.

"Pretty much, you mind we don't get into it too much, I'm still processing it."

"Sure...So you're from Canada?"

"Born there and raised until I was about four. Then we moved all over with my mom's job?"

"Must be hard, I've lived here my whole life."

"I wish I had that..." I say, almost staring out the window in wonder. "Establish roots, get to know everyone, but it never worked out that way." I pause. "Doesn't it get boring?"

"Not around here...things change like crazy."

"You get a lot of visitors?"

"More than you would believe." he mutters.

Ruby comes up with the milkshakes.

"Chocolate and strawberry. And the bacon burger is on the way."

"Thanks a lot." I say politely. I take a long sip, happy to re-hydrate since I didn't eat anything yesterday, after the... fiasco. I take another look at him.

"So you have a girlfriend?" I ask.

"W-What?"

"I can see it all over your face. My friend used to get that look when she first met her boyfriend and I guess I did to? So come on, what's her name?"

"V-Violet, She's...from out of town."

"Ah...big city girl?"

"Not exactly..."

"Good, I just wanted to clear the air and tell you that I'm not interested." I say with a wink.

Henry smiles at my joke and sips his milkshake.

Ruby puts the food and I offer Henry some fries. Just then a young couple come in with a stroller. I lean over to peer into the little seat. A bright eyed baby stares back at me. A strong light radiates off of him and it's a lot brighter than my previous hallucinations or... whatever these things are. His is pure yellow light with a tiny heart that beats rapidly. He clings to a toy and sucks on it frequently.

My background in ECE kicks in. The kid is about four months old, lively as ever and should be learning to roll over soon. He seems to be a rather happy child and is obviously loved by his parents.

The woman has short dark hair, cut into a bob, fairly pale skin and dark red lips. She is talking to Ruby at the counter and her silhouette image comes to me. Her energy is a warm cream colour, white and her heart contrasts it perfectly, the only flaw is the dark spot on her beating heart. Her husband and the baby's father is tall, quite handsome, rather unshaven and also wears a sheriff's badge on his belt. He has a sort of rugged look that I find quite appealing. I blink and his silhouette is a dark royal blue, but his heart is only half there?

"Oh Henry..." the woman says, noticing us. She seems focused on him and seems to ignore me. "Can you watch Neal tonight? Belle is busy tonight with Gold, Granny's buried in paperwork and Emma and Hook are..."

"Sorry Mary Margret I can't, Violet and I are going on a date." he interrupts.

"Oh gawd, I need a baby sitter, tonight there's an important town hall meeting tonight and it might go late."

I swallow some of my hamburger and clear my throat.

"I can do it for you if you'd like?" I offer.

The woman's eyes rotate to the other side where a complete stranger sits with a half eaten hamburger in front of her. She looks me up and down with her bright green eyes, probably confused of why someone would want to babysit a child she doesn't know at all.

"And you are?"

"She's Crystal, she just got into town." Henry explains.

"Well hello, Crystal, welcome to Storybrooke and I appreciate the offer but..."

"I understand it's just, if you really need someone, I've got a clear schedule and I've worked at day cares in the past."

"You have?" Henry says.

"Yes, it was my major in a two year college program...in fact I was the assistant supervisor at one of the most prestigious day cares in New York..."

The woman ,who I know now is Mary Margret looks at me with her head cocked to the side, as if trying to figure me out.

"How old are you?" she asks.

"Nineteen, almost twenty, but I'm older than I look."

"A lot more so." Henry adds.

Mary Margret continues to stare at me.

"I'm just saying if you need someone for your son, I can watch him for a few hours. I've got nothing going on right now."

I know it's a half lie, I have a lot of baggage on me right now and baby sitting isn't the best option, but I need to distract myself in some way. Why not something I'm passionate about?

"Where are you from?" she asks.

"New York." I answer. "I just got into town."

She's silent for a few moments and then turns to her husband. I lean from the booth and say hello to the little one in the stroller.

"Hello sweetie." I coo at him.

At first, the kid is a bit weary, but when I tickle his tiny foot, begins squealing and laughing. His parents look at me in slight confusion. Understandable to be weary of me since they know nothing about me and I know nothing about them, we're on the same wavelength at least.

"How old is he?" I ask.

"Four months." the father answers this time.

"He rolling over yet?"

"He's close...he really wants to be moving and be where the action is."

"As most babies do." I smile.

I tickle the little guy's stomach and his smile is even wider. I love working with young people, babies are especially precious, so innocent and sweet. They are so curious and really a miracle of life, soaking up everything and loving everyone they meet.

"He does seem to like you." the man says.

I just smile.

The couple lean into each other and even though they think they're whispering, they're really not.

"No David..."

"But Snow, she's just what we need...at least for tonight."

"No! she's a total stranger and who knows where's she's been or who might be following her. People don't just accidentally come to Storybrooke, she's hiding from something."

"We don't know that and it's only for a couple of hours..."

"David..."

"Snow it's fine, she's the most qualified I've ever met."

"And yet we know nothing about her. She's a perfect stranger, but she could be... you know...willing to steal him or..."

"Snow keep it down... It's just one night Snow..."

"David, I'll stay home with him..."

"You're the mayor Snow, you can't..."

"David what's more important the town or our son?"

I decide to speak up in my own defense.

"If you guys want, we can get to know each other a bit like I'm doing with Henry here if it will put you at ease a little bit. I know leaving your child with someone is hard a stressful if you do have the time, we could get the introductions out of the way and a background check if you'd like?"

They both look at each other, seemingly embarrassed that their discussion was over heard by me.

I sit back into the booth and finish off my burger.

"Anyone up for a walk in the park?" I offer. "I need a tour of the place."

...

A little while later Henry, Mary Margret, Neal and David walk along with me, showing me the highlights of Storybrooke, Maine. The clock tower is the highlight of the town and they show me all the places to see. We eventually end up lose to the edge of town, close to the toll bridge, vandalized to say Troll Bridge.

"That's Mr. Gold's shop there." Henry says. "He's my grandfather."

"That's nice" I say, peering in the window. "Anything good?"

"Not unless you're willing to bargain a lot of your wallet." David answers.

I stop for a moment. The entire place seems to be...talking. I hear hushed voices behind the glass, as if beckoning to me. Partially resembling the voices I heard last night in the rain. I feel a strong energy behind it and it's tingling my body slightly.

"You okay?" Henry asks.

I snap back to attention. "Fine just... antique shops are always fascinating... but at the same time, they can be full of junk."

"I think Gold's shop is a little bit of both." Mary Margret says, continuing to push the stroller back and forth to soothe Neal.

"I'll have to stop by sometime." I say and we walk on.

We talk as we go. I learn that Mary Margret was a teacher at Henry's school until she won election and is technically the mayor of the town and she holds city council meetings, which she prefers to be recognized as Fire Side meetings. David is the loving a devoted father and Henry is home schooled and a comic book fan.

I tell them what I can about myself. The places I traveled and that includes with Mason to the Himalayas and where I've moved over the years. I tell them that my Dad walked out on me when I was young and I lost my mom a few years back. I tell them about my job...but not the reason why I left.

We eventually end up in front of what I learn is Mary Margret and David's loft apartment. It seems cozy enough for a small family and to my surprise I learn that Henry lives with them. They never told me but I could tell that Henry was their grandson. They must have had Emma when they were teenagers and she must have had Henry at a young age too. I don't judge because honestly, there are worse ways for families to be connected. My dad being Rumpelstiltskin.

Once we stop in front of the building I turn to face the family.

"So..." I say getting to the point. "Do you know me well enough to let me watch your son for a few hours?"

They look at each other. Mary Margret bites her lip hard and gazes down at her now sleeping son. David leans down to whisper in her ear and she nods slowly.

"If you can be here at around seven thirty?"

"Sure, I'll you then" I say, forcing a smile to my face. I hold my hand out and shake their hands with some re-assurance. I start walking back to Granny's. I go to my car and remove the stuff I need. I check my phone. 16 messages from Alisa and 5 from Bridges. I delete the ones from Bridges, knowing they're termination notices or asking me what happened. There's another 2 calls from my land lord, but I really don't want to deal with this right now. I send a single text to Alisa to let her know I'm alive, but then I shut my phone down.

I gather up some of the essentials, including a fresh pair of clothes and walk towards the motel.

An elderly woman with white hair, a crooked nose that house grandmother style glasses on a chain and a softly wrinkled face is working over the front desk of the motel. When she sees me, she's at first startled by my appearance, but forces a smile.

"Hello." she says in a soft voice.

"Hello." I say. "You must be Granny."

"How'd you guess?" she says with a sort of gleeful wink.

"I'd like a room please if available."

"Certainly." she turns the book around and hands me a pen. "Sign here and fill out this information here. I'll get you a room key."

I fill out the info while she searched or the appropriate key.

"How many nights will you be staying?" she asks.

I bite my lip.

"Uh-About a week or so." I answer.

"That will be fine, room's 50 dollars a night if that's suitable for you?"

"Absolutely" I say, finishing up the info.

I hand the pen back to her and she hands the key to me. It's a fancy and ornate golden key.

"Room 2A on your left."

"Thank you." I say with a small smile.

"Welcome to Storybrooke."


	12. Chapter 12: Joy of New Discoveries

Chapter 12: Joy of New Discoveries

I arrive at Mary Margret and David's apartment at 7:30. I knock on the green door and wait outside patiently.

I suddenly hear voices behind the door. I try to ignore them, but curiosity was getting the better of me. I lean in.

"What can we do?" I hear, a voice that I recognize as Henry's.

"We just need to act like we're a normal family until she decides to leave." the voice I know is David's.

"But how long can we act normally, were you born yesterday, nothing stays normal for long around here."

"I agree with Henry." the female voice who is Mary Margret's.

"Stop it Henry!" David groans.

"She's not stupid, she'll begin to notice things!" Henry barks.

"And I'm not ready to let a complete stranger into our house to care for our son. She just got into town, she has no job, most likely fired. She's probably a run away or for all we know she's on the run from the police!"

"Snow it's just a couple of hours."

"I'm not ready to trust her."

"You don't have to but our options are limited Snow."

"And what if she get suspicious. If she finds out and then spills the secret to the outside world?"

"Worst case scenario Henry... Let's not think about that right now. She'll be here any minute. We'll discuss it at the meeting tonight, go out on your date with Violet. It's only a few hours and we have to face the fact that she's probably the most qualified to take care of Neal."

I'm starting to feel uneasy, but the lack of trust is justified. I'm Rumpelstiltskin's daughter and I have powers that are unpredictable at times. This is the reason I ran away...well that and my boyfriend dumping me over a text message.

But it's this secret...what secret. It has something to with everyone in town. Are they a drug town? Associated with the Mafia? Did somebody kill someone and the town has been keeping it a secret? Why is David calling Mary Margret Snow? Is it some weird nickname? I fiddle with my locket and knock again, louder than before.

"She's here." Mary Margret says. "Henry get the door."

Henry opens the door. He's dressed in a casual suit and a tie.

"Hey" he says with a grin.

"Hi..." I say. I examine his outfit. "You look good."

"Thank you..."

"So where are you and Violet going on your date?" I ask. He steps aside to allow me to enter the apartment.

The loft is extremely big, larger than I expected. There's a fully stocked kitchen with an island in the middle, a bedroom off to the right which I assume is the master bedroom with the double bed and adjacent cradle. There's a hole in the roof where a ladder and trapdoor open into the upstairs room, which I assume is Henry's place to sleep. It's nice place, covered in some flowery art and scattered with baby toys and other essentials. It kind of reminds me of my loft back in New York, only much bigger and not quite as homey or modern.

"We're going to Granny's for dinner and I though we might take a walk along the shore."

"Sounds romantic." I smile encouragingly.

"Hopefully it will be." he says, scratching the back of his head.

Just then Mary Margret comes in with Neal on her shoulder.

"Just in time." Mary Margret says. She has her hands full of baby, bottle and some papers, I assume are for the meeting.

David comes up behind her.

"Hello Crystal." he says in a friendly voice.

"Hello David. You have a lovely home."

"Thank you it's Sn-...Mary Margret's."

"Very comfy." I say earnestly.

Mary Margret mills about trying to get organized, while trying to keep the baby calm. I assume from the burping rag that she just fed him.

David grabs his car keys and puts his coat on. He turns to me.

"So he needs his nightly bottle at around nine and then he goes down after you burp him. Wind his mobile a bit for that because it will usually put him to sleep. If he does wake up while we're gone, just check the diaper and talk to him. He loves listening to people's voices and that will lull him quite quickly. If he gets fussy there's toys to calm him down and a extra bottle in the fridge."

He goes to the kitchen and I follow him.

"This is the number we use that you can reach us at anytime. Henry also has a cell phone number. Everything emergency is on the side of the fridge and if you need extra help, call Granny or..."

"Okay." I say, knowing full well the drills for proper child care.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge and the TV is in the back room and..."

Mary Margret comes bustling between us in a frenzy.

"David have you seen my phone I left it..."

"It's on the table by the door." he says.

"Thank you and my purse and..." she continues on. "And if anything does happen, call as soon as possible and if..."

"We'll be fine Mary Margret." I say with a re-assuring smile. "I've done this for a living you know."

She reluctantly looks at me, still cradling her son, wrapped in a blanket. She looks down at him and kisses his forehead.

"Love you sweetie." she says to him.

Slowly, but surely she hands her son to me. I cradle him expertly and bounce him in a soothing motion to re-assure the parents. David slowly motions his wife to the door, he kisses his son as he goes. Mary Margret has worry all over her face. She gives her son one last kiss before going out the door.

I take Neal's tiny hand and wave it at his parents. They shut the door and it's just me, Henry and a baby.

Henry keeps looking in the mirror, fixing his hair to make sure it looks okay. I gently lift Neal to my shoulder and pat his back to make sure he's well burped. Henry begins to get frantic, fixing his tie as most men do when they're nervous.

"Nervous huh?" I ask.

"More than ever. We've only been on a few dates and one technically didn't count cause it...was at a dance and it's where we met."

"How sweet." I smile. "Did you dance to a slow song?"

"Not..exactly...there weren't really slow songs."

"Don't tell me you met at a club?" I grimace. "Very unromantic."

"No...it was... a real classy dance, long dresses and that."

"Sounds elegant." I say. "I wish I had met a guy at a dance in high school."

"I...don't actually go to high school."

"Home schooled?"

"Uh...yeah let's go with that."

I sit down with Neal on a comfortable chair and pat his back a bit more.

"What about you?" Henry asks. "Any special someones?"

My face shrinks slightly, my smile fading, my head goes down and my cheeks go red. Henry immediately picks up on it.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay" I say gently. I swallow hard to fight back the tears. I guess I've been kind of avoiding it until now, but the sooner I come to terms with it...the better I'll feel.

"His name was Mason and he was British. He came from England a few years back and..." I sigh, imagining his deep brown eyes. "He was the sweetest man, so well mannered and he treated me better than I've ever been treated. We went out for about a year. We hiked in the Himalayas together and we worked at soup kitchens on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We'd go to the beach and sometimes...we'd just sit outside and talk."

My eyes grow teary and wet, thinking about him. My heart pounds faster. I gave him everything and a measly text is how he ends our relationship. I guess this was a shock because it was usually me ending the coupling, but...if I'm honest I thought he was the one. He restored my faith, even with the scuffle where I thought he was cheating on me, but he told me that was a lie and that he loved me, the fight was just a stupid blow up over nothing.

"What did you talk about?" Henry asks gently, understanding how hard it is and trying to change subject a bit. I know he's trying to get me to talk about it, which can help me heal.

"What our work was like. He worked as a veterinarian's assistant, I at the day care. We talked about what we wanted in life... the future... he and I wanted kids someday and house..."

It starts to become too much for me and bounce Neal up and down to distract myself. Henry offers to take the baby for awhile so I can weep.

I cover my hands over my eyes and just let it all out. In a normal way, no seismic waves or purple light, just normal tears and pain. It feels normal , it feels good. Some release from the rage and anger I had inside.

It's a long time before Henry speaks.

"Is that the reason why you're here?" He asks.

I look up at him and he hands me some tissues. I give him a smile and take them. I just nod.

"It was just yesterday and I couldn't stand being there any longer."

"So you took off for the horizon." Henry finishes.

"Yes and right now...I'm glad I stopped here."

"Me too." he says earnestly.

"As you can probably guess I'm a mess and you probably don't want a weepy whiny stranger in your house caring for your uncle."

"Uncle...?"

"I know David and Mary Margret are your grandparents." say with a small smile, wiping my eyes. "The pieces fit together quite easily."

"You're quite observant."

"I think that sometimes peeves people off. It's probably why I dumped so many guys in the past. The tried to hide their weird habits from me, but I figured them out.

"Why what'd they do?"

I tell Henry more about the infamous exes and he can't help but laugh at some of the psychos I've dated. I can't believe it myself. I laugh along with him and even baby Neal is smiling, even though he doesn't understand. I think he just might be happy to hear laughter. Henry and I chat for twenty minutes when there's a knock at the door.

"Must be your date." I say, taking Neal from him.

"Yes, she likes to be fashionably late."

"Have fun Prince Charming, bring Cinderella home at a decent hour."

The smile fades a little bit as he goes to the door.

I suddenly realize what Violet might think and understand his discomfort.

I drop my voice.

"Just tell her I'm someone from town she wouldn't know and that I'm 25. Just so she doesn't get suspicious or jealous." The last thing I want is to ruin someone I don't know very well's chance at a relationship. A better relationship than the ones I had.

Henry nods and goes to the door.

"Good luck." I whisper and I take Neal into the master bedroom in case Violet gets too curious.

Henry smiles and opens the door.

I rock Neal back and forth, keeping the little one happy and Henry talks to Violet. I wait patiently for him to leave, praying that Violet doesn't suspect anything. When I hear the door shut, I let out a breath of relief.

Now that I'm alone with the little one, I take him to the living room. I lay a blanket down and put him on top. He's quite the kicker and he seems eager to play. I grab one of his toys and shake it in front of him. He grabs eagerly at it. He coos, babbles and drools as all babies do. I can see he's growing quickly and enjoys kicking. He's eager to start moving on his own. At the same time, he's quite content. I let him have the toy and he sucks on it.

He eventually wriggles around like he's trying to move somewhere. He kicks and reaches his hands up. I can tell he's trying to roll over as most 4 month olds do. I first I let him do it until he starts grunting and getting frustrated. I don't want him to strain himself, so I help him onto his stomach.

Once he's on his stomach, he reaches for the blanket's edge, grabs a hold and puts it in his mouth.

I sit and watch him for a little while, he grabs onto anything he can and holds it, including fuzz from the carpet. He's exploring his environment, seeing what things feel like. He can't really go anywhere, so I don't worry about him getting into trouble.

I sit on the floor and lean against the couch watching him. My hand touches something. I pull out a large brown book with a leather cover and the words, Once Upon a Time on it.

I know immediately it's a fairy tale book, probably meant for Neal, but the use out of it indicates it's been around for awhile. I then assume it was Henry's first.

I trace the edges of it with my fingers. And open the front cover.

There's a message on the inside.

Dear Reader,

The book you have discovered carries a great many tales that I have collected over the years and decided to share with you. All these are the fairy tales generations have grown up with and could recite by heart. These may seem a little different, but these are the originals translated from page to page. Please be aware that everything in here is more than merely a fantasy, it is real. To me, they feel real because the characters spring to life off the pages and I do hope they do the same for you dear reader.

So just before you turn the page. Open your eyes and heart to the magic that will surround you and always remember there is always a happy ending.

Sincerely,

The Author

I smile and I hear Neal squeal, turning my attention back to him. He seems bored of being on his stomach so I put the book down and pay attention to him. I pick him up and swing him above my head.

"Super Neal" I smile. "It's a bird, It's a plane, It's..."

The kid giggles and suddenly my hands begin to glow. I immediately put the kid down on the couch and stare at my hands. They're glowing, but the colour was lighter, gentler.

I clench my fist, but Neal continues to giggle, bouncing up and down on the couch wanting more. This magic is stronger, warmer, better. I open my hand and a tiny ball of light floats from my palm. I realize that I can control its movements. The ball is a bright yellow, but begins to dim soon after.

Neal, begins to cry slightly and the ball of light turns a mixture of red and blue. I immediately run to his aid and pick him up and cuddle him. The ball of light is still in the air, only the bright yellow colour is back. I tickle the baby under the chin and he giggles. He squeals and the ball is the brightest it's ever been. I use my free hand and bring the tiny object towards us. The closer it gets, the happier Neal is. When the ball is floating in my palm, Neal is staring at it in amazement until he reaches out and touches it. The ball immediately shines and bursts into a thousand tiny stars. Neal laughs and sucks on his fist.

I have no idea what just happened, but the light seemed to react to Neal's mood, being bright and yellow when he's happy and red and blue when he's sad. Some kind of baby whispering thing. Whatever it was, my powers liked it and they felt different...good and...happy

Neal suddenly grabs for my necklace and puts it in his mouth. He grabs aggressively at the chain, he pulls hard enough for it to hurt me. I slowly pull the chain from around my neck and give it to him. he clings to it and shakes it up and down, thrilled with this new plaything. I let him play with it, glad somebody enjoys it. At one point I try to take it away and he starts to cry so I let him hold onto it.

I give Neal his bottle soon after and sit on the master bed with him. I hum to him and he still holds onto my necklace, he seems to never want to let it go. When he's done, I burp him and then lay him on the bed. I try to put the necklace back on, but Neal gets upset. So I hold it over him like a mobile and he grabs for it, loving the game. He reaches up with his tiny hands and giggles. I play with him until he starts to yawn.

I put him the cradle but he immediately becomes distressed when I try to leave with the locket. I hold it over him and he grabs for it, happy as ever.

I'm reluctant to leave it in his crib with him, so I hang it on his actual mobile and let it dangle within his reach. This seems to satisfy him enough to settle down a bit. I turn the mobile on and sit next to him and watch as he yawns again and closes his eyes.

I watch his little angelic face sleep peacefully, so innocent, not a care in the world. I envy the infant, being in a loving family, roof over his head, a warm bed, no complicated situations. He certainly knows what he wants at such a young age. I start to cry a little bit, so happy and at the same time, so sad.

I eventually pull away and shut the door slightly so if he stirs, I'll know. I go back to the couch and open the book up again.

I start turning through the pages and my heart stops.

There's a picture of Snow White and her Prince Charming. I drop the book on my lap and rub my eyes before looking again.

"Did I just see that?" I gasp.

I look up at a picture on the mantle piece, a picture of Mary Margret and David. I compare the pictures...

"No!" I whisper. "It can't be!"

I start scanning through more pages until I land on a picture of the infamous imp. The smile...the bronze skin...the same in my locket, except the locket picture was moving.

I can feel tears coming.

Everything starts to make sense now. Everything...

I read the first page and the words, The Enchanted Forest come up and everything just clicks into place. Is this the truth that Mason was telling me about? Is this where my mom and I came from? Are all the fairy tale characters we know...they're all right here!

I can feel tears in my eyes, realizing what the secret was all along . It's what my powers were trying to show me, the different characters beneath the surface. Mary Margret is Snow White, David is her Prince Charming. I have no idea who or what Henry, Neal or Emma are, but I assume I'll find the answers in the book.

I start reading, line by line, page by page, absorbing all the details that I can. The illustrations/pictures help me make connections to some of the people I saw around town. The wolf figure in red makes sense for me, Ruby is a wolf...werewolf that shifts during full moons. That's a real twist on the Red Riding Hood. I think they tried to make a movie out of it. I wonder if Ruby has the rights to the idea? The red headed man I saw was Archie and he is in fact Jiminy Cricket of the Pinocchio story and so on.

I get so engrossed I don't realize what time it is. Fortunately, I get lots of reading done before I hear a car outside.

I suddenly come to realization why the book was under the couch in the first place. The others were hiding it from me. I don't really want an awkward conversations right now...the fact that the storybook characters I grew up with are here and alive, living normal lives. I don't know if I want to let them know what I know, at least not right now. If they find out I'm Rumpelstiltskin's daughter, they might treat me differently, especially if they know I have powers. They'll never let me near Neal or anyone again...then again they do have werewolves and crickets running around and allow them near the baby. I have this gut feeling that I should keep my secret for a little bit longer...let them get to know the real me before I show them there's more than meets the eye.

I quickly grab my coat and disguise the book as best I can. I keep my coat close to my body and listen as David and Mary Margret come in. I smile and they...sort of return it.

"How was the meeting?" I ask casually.

They pause, not really sure what they can tell me.

"Alright." Snow says. "How was everything here?"

"Fine... We played for a bit, I gave him his bottle and he fell asleep with no problems."

Snow...It's so weird to be calling her that. Snow White. She really did live with seven dwarves and they are also walking around town somewhere. Snow goes into the bedroom and checks on him. I'm alone with David.

"We don't really have any money to..." he starts.

"Don't worry about that." I say. "I was happy to do it."

We pause again.

I add. I also left my necklace above his bed. He seems really drawn to it and gets fussy if it's taken away. Don't worry about it."

"You sure..."

"Yes..." I smile, sounding more sure than I feel. That locket is special to me, but it does bring me great pain and can be a burden sometimes. It is enchanted,but it is to protect those who need it. If Neal wants it and it makes him happy. He can have it. Maybe some good energy will rub off on it and it will soak u some happy memories.

Snow comes back out and goes for her purse. I stop her.

"Don't worry about it." I say. "I was happy to do it, no charge."

"Are you..."

"Yes" I insist. "If you need me again, I'm at Granny's Motel. I might be here longer than I thought..."

I can feel the unease in their smiles as I say this. I put my coat under my arm and walk towards them. I can feel they have te urge to move back...away from the stranger.

"See you around hopefully." David finally says.

"Yes!" Snow adds.

Snow reaches over and shakes my hand. I also shake David's and head for the door. I can tell they don;t want to keep a secret about who they are for too much longer, but they might have to, since they don't know that I know this town's secret.

"Good night." I say to them

"Good night and thank you." Snow says.

"Tell Henry good night too." I add.

"We will" says David. "Safe trip home."

"Thank you." and with that I shut the door. I rush to my car and head up to the motel. I feel some guilt for stealing Henry's book, but it has all the answers...answers Mason and I were going to...

I shove Mason from my mind and go up the street to the motel, key in my pocket.

I get to my hotel room and change for bed. I turn on the lights and start reading again.

I learn a lot more about the characters...including my father. He is known as the Dark One, cursed to be the way he is because he killed the previous Dark One and ended up with the blood on his hands. He has much dark magic and he pops up in almost every story, besides his own. He seems like a real menace and pure evil sometimes. It explains so much about my darker side. His magic must have been passed down to me via blood.

I finally get to where I'd assume my story comes up...but instead it's about some woman named Cora...also a miller's daughter. She also falls for Rumple, but she actually wants to keep the magical ability, learn from him. She eventually trick him, thinking the baby is his and she marries another man for wealth and bears a girl named Regina. Rumple ends up sad and alone again, not tearing himself in two

Where the hell is my story?! I want to shout.

I exist too and if these...powers are any indication... I am his daughter, one with dark magic like his. I don't know if there are any other magical beings besides Cora and Rumpelstiltskin that I could be related to, it's unlikely and my mom wouldn't lie in her diary. Something is amiss here.

Where is my story?!


	13. Chapter 13: Unfortunate Tale

I wake up the next morning, still feeling quite down and rather frustrated. It takes me a moment to realize where I am again. Then all the heavy stuff I learned last night comes flowing back like a waterfall. I get up and reach for the book beside my bed that must have fallen off in the night. I rub my eyes and stretch out. I try to find my page again.

I continue you to read and I learn a lot more history than what was written in the fairy tales I grew up with. The intimate details of their lives including Snow White as an outlaw, even though she was once considered the weakest of all princesses, Maleficent and her daughter (not named Mal), _1001 Arabian Nights'_ genie being the magic mirror and the reason Snow White's father was killed, Rapunzel's plight of losing her dear brother and trapping herself in the tower and Prince Charming's evil twin brother. I'm so caught up that i let most of the morning go by before I decide to get up for the day.

I dig some clothes out of one of my bags and shower, feeling some relief from my crazy past few days. I shove the book into my shoulder bag and go to Granny's for breakfast. I still get weird stares from people when I enter, but I order coffee with toast and sit down in a booth alone.

I certainly enjoy breakfast more, naming all the cast of characters that come in and out of the diner. I pick out two of the seven dwarves, the magic mirror, Jimminy Cricket and his dog, Pongo and who I think is a young version of Pinocchio. I can't help but smile, thanking fate for the discovery of the book. Everything makes so much more sense about the big secret and my so called "sensibility" to identifying the characters. My powers are a lot stronger here, most likely activated by the presence of people from a similar world and origins. I don't really know if any others have powers, but it would not be a bad assumption.

At the same time that I'm having fun...I'm nervous. I keep a wary eye out for...you know who. The man who ruined my mother's life and mine. The man who wanted me dead and ended up giving me this dark side that caused pain and suffering. I don't know if he is here at all, He could be in Africa being eaten by a lion for all I know (wishful thinking), but if this is where all the fair tale characters are living, he's here too. I don't want to see him... at least not right now, coping with the aftermath of my blow up in front of innocent civilians and kids... and Mason dumping me. Seeing my dad would just catapult me to being a really bad flight risk for anyone around me. Whenever I end up seeing him...he better watch out.

I calm myself a little bit and finish my coffee and toast before heading outside into the cool Mine air. The sun is not really out at all, but there's warmth to the air. I start walking in a random direction, not really caring where I end up. I peer through some of the glass windows of different shops, observing what I can. I go up by the old clock tower and notice a book store inside. My interest is peaked, but it's closed today. I'm hoping to go sometime soon to get more information about the town and find any other editions of Henry's fairy tale book.

My mind still hums around the fact that my story isn't in it. All other evidence from Mom's diary and the locket that projects an image of them together supports that my mom and Rumpelstiltskin had a relationship and from that relationship came me... They had a falling out and she left.

I suddenly come to what looks like some kind of antique store or curio shop across the way from the library. I peer in at all the old junk and I suddenly get this overwhelming feeling. I start hearing whispering behind the window...these...objects are talking to me. The place seems oddly familiar and I get a shiver up my spine. My palms become warm, detecting something inside...something unusual and slightly angering. I see movement in the back, but I can't make out the shape.

"Not a good idea to be mixed up with that bloody keeper." a voice says, making me jump.

I turn to see a tall, dashingly handsome man, with dark hair and slight beard over his smirking mouth and chin. His bright blue eyes are almost hypnotic and his eyebrow is crooked up as if suspicious of my actions. He wears a long over coat and many accessories including necklaces, a thick leather belt and rings on his...hand. I see his other hand shoved deep into his overcoat pocket. I know immediately he's hiding something. The shirt under his coat is low collar, exposing some of his chest and from what I can tell, he's well built. His entire personae radiates confidence, but also a sort of devious sneakiness that is unlike anyone I've seen before.

My vision lights up and I see his outline quite clearly. It's a sort of royal red and his heart has several dark spots on it, indicating that he's no hero that I can recognize. I see an image of a ship and my eyes seem to x-ray into his coat pocket and I see what looks like a...

Hook! It's Captain Hook from Peter Pan! I take a few steps back, remembering him from the movie and book my mom read to me when I was younger. And yet...I don't want to believe that it is Captain Hook, he's too...good looking, dashingly handsome could be more accurate, I can feel my face flushing and my heart beating rather quickly. Whether that is because I'm scared or attracted to him, I can't say for sure.

"Am I frightening you?" he asks, due to my reaction. His voice is smooth with a thick British accent.

I swallow, waiting for the hook to come out.

"Uh...no...no no...you-uh caught me off guard."

"Terribly sorry love. I just saw you leering into the shop and thought best to warn you about it's owner."

I straighten up, realizing that he won't hurt me at all, in fact he's not like his counterpart at all.

"Why, what's wrong with him?" I ask.

"He's what others might call...a crocodile or a reptile."

I swallow. Did he seriously bring up the word crocodile in a sentence with me?! I've walked into the _Twilight Zone._

"Is he that slimy?" I ask.

"And much more. I'd thought it'd be best to warn you before you go make a deal with him."

"I was just looking." I say. "Curiosity is sometimes hard to ignore."

"Better learn to control it Love, because it could cause you harm."

"Tell me something I don't know." I mutter looking at my feet.

There's a slight pause.

"You're new around here aren't you?" he asks.

"Yes I am." I hold my hand out to him. "I'm Crystal, Crystal Miller."

He hesitates and holds out his right hand, knowing full well that he's hiding his hook on the left.

"Killian Jones." he says.

Exactly the name from the J.M Barrie's book! I swallow hard again.

"What brings you to town?" he asks.

"Impromptu road trip." I explain. "I ended up getting lost and found my way here."

"Interesting..." he says, biting his lower lip. I can't tell but it seems he's a little more afraid of me that I am of him. He's quite hesitant. "No one ever really gets lost and ends up here."

"That's what Emma said."

"Emma? You've met Emma?"

"Yes." I notice the change of look on his face. He goes slightly red and smiles at the sound of her name. I can tell immediately that my crush on him will only ever be that. He has a large heart on for Emma. I think it's rather sweet, forgetting the misconceptions that I had of him earlier. If Emma likes him and they are dating, he's not a villain...at least not anymore.

"She's the first person I met. She's the one who found me sleeping in my car."

"I see." Hook says. "Where exactly, if you don't mind me asking, did you come from?"

"New York." I answer.

"Ah, went there a few times, wasn't a great experience."

"That's too bad." I say sympathetically. "Usually it's an okay city to live in."

"Emma used to live there too?"

"Did she?" I say, my interest peaked.

"Yes but then she moved here."

"To be close to her parents and son right?"

The colour drains from Hook's face at my words. I can tell he's confused and that he's still a little afraid of me. He doesn't know what I know, which is why he's hiding his hook, to appear normal. Possibly on the advice of Emma or Snow to not draw suspicion.

"Why...yes." he says. "You met them?"

"I watched little Neal last night."

"I see." he says, looking down at me. I can somehow tell that he is not Henry's father, just a hunch really and I can tell that he's been a bachelor most of his life until he met Emma. I'm dying to know more about him when I read the book again.

"They seem very nice." I say encouragingly. "Everyone seems very nice."

"We...sometimes have that reputation." Hook says, scratching the back of his neck.

I can tell that he wants to be on his way so I decide to end the conversation.

"Thanks for the warning about this place." I say, nodding to the shop. The voices have now faded since my conversation with Hook started, either that or I've ignored them.

"Uh...no problem, Love, just letting you know about the ups and downs of this town. It's not always what it seems."

Ain't that the truth. I think to myself.

"Anyway, thank you and I hope to see you around." I say, holding my hand out as a good-bye shake.

He shakes it more firmly this time "See you around" I can tell he's not used to modern slang.

Then we go our separate ways. I continue walking up the street and into a bungalow with many small houses scattered about. It looks like a nice neighbourhood, quiet and peaceful, perfect place to raise a family.

I end up going past a house in which I hear singing of nursery songs. I listen in and peer in a window. I smile when I see several mothers, including Snow White and Neal, singing along to Mary had a Little Lamb. It's a sweet scene and my Early Childhood training is kicking in again. it reminds me of music time at the daycare. My heart breaks slightly, a pain in my chest. I think of all the lively faces I left behind...especially Brendan and Amanda...the horror on their faces.

I feel a tear come to my eye, I wanted to protect that little boy so much, save him from neglect, but I had to save him from me first. I stare at my hands, knowing that they will glow purple eventually. These powers that I have...they're a gift and a curse. I think the incident with Neal last night shows...some kind of beauty through the darkness.

I walk inside as the mothers and their babies are packing up after I assume a play group session. I immediately recognize Mary Margret/Snow White with little Neal talking to a blonde woman. I take slow steps towards them.

Neal is the first to notice me and smiles.

"Hi buddy..." I say gently and put my finger out for him to grab. The women turn my way.

"Hello Crystal." Mary Margret says in a much cheerier voice. I guess some of the resentment has died down a bit.

"Hello...Mary Margret how are you?"

"Fine thank you..." She turns to the blonde woman. "Sorry Ashley this is Crystal."

I reach over to shake her hand. She switches her little girl to her hip and returns my shake.

"So you're the infamous stranger in town." she says sweetly.

"Do people seriously know about me already?" I ask in surprise.

"News travels fast in a small town like this." Ashley says cheerfully.

"Well I won't be a stranger much longer, Crystal Miller."

"Ashley Boyd."

I turn my attention to the little one. "And who is this little princess?"

"Alexandra" Ashley says. Unlike Snow, Ashley has no reason to distrust me I assume because Snow has not freaked out yet. I lean in and smile at little Alexandra. She's shy, turning into her mom's shoulder, clearly needing her mommy as a secure base, but when she sees her mother's warm attitude towards me, she opens up a bit.

"How old?" I ask.

"Eight months and counting."

"Is she crawling yet?" I ask, ECE training taking over again.

"She's close, she definitely wants to get places." Ashley smiles, tickling her daughter.

"Just like Neal." I say to Mary Margret. "He's eager to be everywhere at once."

Neal puts my locket in his mouth gurgling the entire time.

"He sure loves the locket." Snow says. "He won't let it out of his sight."

"He has good taste" I joke."It is 16-carrat gold, I think." We all smile knowing that he probably just like the way the locket feels in his gums. "Good for those fangs he's going to grow."

We smile again.

Ashley examines the locket closer.

"It's beautiful..." she says in admiration. "The engravings and everything, made of real gold? Where's it from?"

I swallow hard. "It was gift from my dad to my Mom after they met." That is not technically a lie, in the most basic sense. "She kept it with her at all times...After my dad left."

The room seems to go quiet by the mention of any missing parents. But based on the fairy tales I've read, most people are in the same boat as me in terms of guardians passing on. Snow pats my shoulder as a sign of comfort and goes back to Neal.

"It was pretty special, but has sad memories. Hopefully Neal will make some happy memories with it."

"You sure it's okay for him to have it?" Mary Margret asks.

I smile. "Sure at least someone other than me knows that it has special meaning.

I gently take the locket from Neal, leaving the chain around his neck so he won't freak out. I pry open the lock and show them the picture inside.

The picture of me and my mom is quite small, but it reminds me of the day it was taken. It's a picture of us laughing on a scenic background. My mother had taken us on a quite picnic in Canada. We were living in a small town at the time and there was a nice little park in the center of town that was perfect for picnics.

This particular day, I was being a menace, disobeying my mother and causing chaos wherever I went, as was my personality at the time. She finally took me by the hand and we went to the park to let me blow off steam. Instead of going for the swings like a normal child, I grabbed rocks and began throwing them at squirrels in the trees. My mother told me no so I started throwing them at her. My mother became extremely mad but then sighed. She set out a blanket and food and we ate, me kicking at dandelions and squashing ants around me.

"You know Crystal," Mom said suddenly. "You're impossible."

The way she said it made me stop what I was doing and look at her in confusion.

"Am I mommy?"

"Yes you are... you're so much like your father."

I dropped the sandwich from my hand, hearing the rare event of mentioning my father. I suddenly lean over and became very quiet.

"Am I mommy? Am I like daddy?"

"Yes you are." she said. "So much like him"

"What was daddy like?" I asked, the good side of me taking over and the voices in my head stopped.

She sighs and I see tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well Crystal, he was unlike anyone I'd ever met. He wasn't at all handsome or as kind as you'd want someone to be, but he was just. He helped me when I needed it most in exchange for a few trinkets. By the end..." She sighed. "He and I were in love. I loved him and I brought out the best in him, but in the end." She grimaced. "He didn't want to change."

"Why?" I asked.

"Sometimes love isn't enough to change someone." I crawled over to her and laid my head on her lap. She stroked my hair. "Sometimes people aren't able to change. You can't force anyone to change for you, but to be hones...I thought he would be better for me" She looks down at me. "And you."

"Was I a surprise mommy?" I asked.

"A happy surprise." she said reassuringly. "I was over the moon and thought I would get a happily ever after that I wanted. But, that's not what he wanted. He didn't want to be a father, he was more or less afraid of you..."

"Why?"

"I can't really say why, he just didn't want you. He tried to convince me of the same thing and at one point I believed him, but then I felt you kick and I realized how precious and special you were. I thought maybe we could start over, move somewhere safe where we could be a family..."

"But..."

"But he wouldn't do it. I realized too late that he was never going to change who he was and I hated him for it. So I ran off with you and had you. I raised you safely, knowing you would be safe..."

"Safe from what?"

"His influence. I wanted more than anything for you to grow up and be a sweet innocent little girl. But the more and more you grow I see a lot of his bad side reflected in you. I kept blaming myself, thinking that I was raising you wrong."

"Then why did you keep me?" I ask. "If I'm so bad?"

"Because you are more than what you seem. I learned that from your father, that not everyone is bad on the outside. I know deep down, you are just as pure and kind. You just don't know it yet. I know you are conflicted inside and sometimes you don't mean the things you do." She pressed her finger against my heart. "You are very special and I love you despite what you tend to do. I know you can't always help it and my hope is that you will grow to be very different from everyone else."

She then tickled me and I started giggling. She and I wrestled for a bit in the grass until we were both laughing hard. She then sat up and grabbed her camera. She told me to smile and the moment of happiness was captured,

I can feel tears welling up in my eyes as the memory passes along. I smile at the other women around me, and then give the locket back to Neal.

Suddenly, a woman with dark hair and a young little girl, can't be a few months old, come up to us. her dark eyes take me in, looking me up and down. Her lips are a dark red colour and her thick dark hair is pulled back from her face. She is quite beautiful but there is a darkness to her, an edge. My vision takes over and I see a dark heart with a royal purple in her silhouette. An image of a crown appears and I know who she is.

The Evil Queen. I read her story. I definitely feel sorry for her and I don't blame Snow like she did, she was tricked by Cora, who also replaced my mom's story. But unlike with Hook, I don't panic immediately, probably because of the baby in her arms, who seems to be sleeping peacefully. i can tell she's just as weary as me.

"Oh Regina this is Crystal." Snow says introducing me.

I reach out and shake her hand.

"And who's the little munchkin here?" I ask.

"This is Cora. Cora Marian" Regina says.

Like your mother. I think.

"She doesn't look a day over a month."

"She isn't" Regina says. "She was born just a few weeks ago."

I lean forward and look at the little one. She has blonde hair...I start to wonder if Regina is the mother.

"When did you get into town?" Regina asks taking a step away. I assume she's either being protective of little Cora or is a little afraid of me.

"Two nights ago." I say. "I came in from New York."

"What for?" she says harshly.

"Regina!" Snow says, rather embarrassed by her attitude. "Regina it's okay..."

I can tell Regina is not exactly liking me, she keeps looking me up and down, trying to figure out my weakness, I assume that's just the way she is and let it go.

"I actually came here by accident." I explain. "It was a last minute road trip and I decided to stay here for a few days or so."

"She was a life saver last night, she took care of Neal and she's already met Henry." Snow says, praising me.

That seems to soften Regina's perspective of me, at least a little. She bounces Cora expertly and then starts walking away.

Snow turns to me. "I'm sorry Crystal, she..."

"Has trouble trusting people?" I finish.

"Yes, she is really nice once you get to know her."

I'm surprised that Snow is so trusting of a woman who tried to kill her multiple times. Stuff must have gone down...I start wondering what.

I watch Regina as she goes outside with Cora and another dashingly handsome man comes up and kisses her. He has with him a young son, about Brendan's age. I can't help but smile, wondering if Brendan or Amanda would get along with this boy.

I walk out to the front of the house and the little boy notices me. He breaks from his dad and comes over to me with no reservations or hesitation.

"Hi, I'm Roland." he says.

I lean down and shake his hand.

"Hi Roland, I'm Crystal."

"I like that name!" he says. "It's so pretty!"

"Thank you, I like the name Roland too. Sounds very noble."

"My daddy named me after my grandpa." he says. The smile on his face is so welcoming and playful, it just reminds me of back home.

His father comes up to us. "Roland!" he turns to me. "Sorry miss, he tends to be..."

"Don't worry." I say smiling. "He and I are having a nice conversation."

He looks me up and down. "You're not from here are you?" he says.

"This town's best kept secret." I joke. "I'm Crystal."

"Robin, nice to meet you."

I know immediately that this is the famed Robin Hood, the outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. I feel quite honoured to meet him. I shake his hand.

"How old are you Roland?" I ask.

"I'm five almost six." he says, smiling. "Are you a princess?"

"Roland!" Robin says, quite embarrassed. "I'm terribly sorry..."

"No, don't worry, I work with kids for a living and no Roland, I wish I was a princess."

"My new Mommy's a queen" he says.

"Roland please..." Robin says. I can tell he wants to keep their identities a secret even though I know.

Regina comes up to save Robin.

"Come along Roland," Regina says. "We'll stop for ice cream on the way home." She starts guiding him away and Robin follows.

"Nice to meet you." Robin says.

"You too, bye Roland."

"Bye Crisi!" he says, waving.

My heart drops when I hear that, what Amanda used to call me. I feel sad then when Snow comes up to me with Neal.

"Crystal... Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"Uh, sure if that's okay?" I say.

"It will be fine, Emma's going to be there too, you can get to know people better."

"Thank you."I say

...

Dinner is great and we all talk and laugh around the table. It really feels like a family environment, I've never felt so much love in one room for a long time.

After dinner we watch and Neal finally succeeds in rolling over and after Emma and I get ready to leave. I hug Snow and David, tickle Neal and hug Henry. Emma and I start walking towards Granny's

"So what's your secret?" Emma asks randomly.

"Uh sorry what?" I stutter.

"Your secret, nobody just comes here by accident."

"Did Henry tell you something?"

"Nobody told me anything, I can read people pretty well and you are hiding something."

"Still don't trust me huh?" I ask.

"Not really, not if you come out of nowhere and from New York, you're not on the run are you? I'd trust you more if I knew why you were here? You seeking sanctuary?"

"Like the movie Safe Haven, no I am running...but not from the cops"

"An ex?" Emma says.

"Yes." I admit.

"What was he like?"

"He was an amazing guy and treated me really well but..." I pause. I can feel tears coming up. I stop walking.

Emma stops and looks at me. "Were you close?" Her voice is a bit more sympathetic this time

"Very...but a couple days ago...he dumped me over a text." I feel humiliated and I wipe away any tears. "I had a break down at my job and just left."

Emma pulls me into a hug. I gladly accept it.

"It hurts...I know" She says sympathetically.

"I thought he was for me...but..."

We're silent for a few minutes, Emma pats my back. When we break from the hug I smile up at Emma.

"It's okay, it hurts but time will heal the wounds." she says

"I think they've started to since I came here. You and your family are so nice and the town is so quiet."

"Yeah, they're like that."

"This town feels welcoming and it makes me feel like I'm home, like I belong."

"It can be like that, it's special. The people are special"

"Like you and Killian" I say teasingly, playfully nudging her.

"How did you?"

"I can read people pretty well too." I smirk. "How long have you guys been dating?"

Emma turns red and we start walking again. I tell her about Mason and she tells me about her one-handed sweetheart. Who knew Captain Hook was so romantic?

When we get to _Granny's_ I say good bye.

"Thank you so much Emma." I say, hugging her again.

"Anytime, by the way, how long are you thinking of staying?"

"Couple of days, while I sort myself out." I shrug. "I don't really have a plan yet."

"No rush." Emma says. "Just feel like you can come talk to me for any therapy."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dr. Swan."

We both laugh. I got to bed with the book and find Emma within the pages a Princess Leia, I can't help but laugh at that one. I figure Emma and Hook went back in time or something and ended up in the story

...

A couple of days turn into a week and then two weeks. I spend the next two weeks really warming up to everybody in Storybrooke. I end up baby sitting Neal more and more as Snow trusts me. I learn a lot more about Henry and Emma and pretty much everyone else. They're really starting to trust me. I haven't felt this much acceptance in a long time...since the times I was hanging out with gangs on the street.

Ashley lets me come to Baby time and I help give her input about what kids should be learning at this age. I also meet other fairy tale characters including Aurora and her little son Phillip, after his father, and others whom I think are magical fairies, known as Mother Superior and sisters of a convent. Even Regina is warming up to me. She hesitant but when she sees the way I talk to Roland and how I dote over Neal, I'm sure it's softening a bit.

There's a big community dinner at _Granny's_ at the end of the second week. There's laughing and talking and everyone accepts me eagerly into their social groups. I meet all seven dwarves and talk to the Sisters as well as Robin and his band of Merry Men. Everyone is toasting and playing games. I take a break from the chaos sit at a table by the big window, I smirk when i see Henry and Violet making out in a booth. I then turn my head to see lone figure outside.

It's Regina in the cold and I go out to see her.

"Regina?"

She turns to me.

"May I help you?" She retorts.

This might not be easy... I think. I keep a few steps behind her

"Came to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine thank you..."

"Do you have a problem with me?" I ask.

She doesn't say anything.

"It's okay if you do, I have a problem with me too."

She looks at me. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Sorry, reflex, sometimes I use humour to lighten a situation."

"Well it's hardly humorous." Regina scoffs

"You don't have to like me." I say. "You definitely don't. Why would you? A stranger comes to a small town, no background, no reasoning, just appears out of the blue."

I stand next to her.

"I'll tell you the truth...I am running, just away from an ex." I pause. "I went through a tough breakup and had a public melt down. things got complicated real fast so I left and just drove in some random direction hoping to escape, at least for a little while. I know you should never run from your problems, but sometimes it seems like the best option. Doesn't it?"

Regina doesn't respond.

"You don't have to like me and that's fine, but at least let me try to be your friend. Roland and Robin trust me and everyone else was skeptical at first but they see me as a friend. I don't mean to hurt you or anybody here... I'm just looking for answers."

"You expect to find them here?"

"Maybe." I shrug. "Sometimes you have to let fate take the wheel. You can't change everything, but you can try."

Regina looks at me for a long moment and then smiles slightly. She puts her arm around me for a second and then Robin comes outside with a sleeping Roland on her shoulder.

"We should get him home." Robin says.

Regina nods and grabs Robin's hand and they start walking from the restaurant.

"Have a good night." I say gently.

"You too." says Regina.

 _Guess she's not so evil anymore..._


	14. Chapter 14: Spark

Chapter 14: Spark

I walk out into the bright morning sun, feeling refreshed and on top of the world. At least as much as I can be after being dumped.

I go to my car and check my phone, nothing. Nothing from Mason. I do have a few frantic texts from Alisa and I texted her back that I was fine and that Mason dumped me. I told her I needed some time to get away and think things through. I can tell she's reluctant to believe me, but she accepts my decision. I tell her I took a road trip, but I don't tell her where... Not fully sure myself if this is real or not.

If I'm honest with myself, I finally feel like I belong and that I'm loved. I feel like I have a family and ever since I came, I've discovered new things about my powers, that they can be good and due to my most recent discovery. I can teleport!

I found this out one day when I was walking out by the troll bridge, admiring the beautiful forest and I realized I didn't bring a camera at all. I shut my eyes and picture it in my room on the oak desk. Suddenly, the ground beneath me disappeared and my stomach became weak. I open my eyes and I'm in my hotel room, in front of the desk. I'm stunned, but I pick up my camera and this time, I snap my fingers. Instantly, I'm back in the woods.

"That will save a lot of time getting places," I said to myself. "I could even sell my car."

Of course, it wasn't easy at first, sometimes I overshoot and end up too far away from where I want to be. I realize that it is all based on how strong my will to go was and how accurate the image in my mind is. Regardless, I'm practicing when no one is around.

I finish the fairy tale book, intrigued by the many tales interwoven together and often a common link...Rumpelstiltskin. Some of the deals he makes are sickening and how he gets what he wants makes my stomach turn. I did learn that he has pulled the "abandoning the one he loves" thing before. I learn that I have a half-brother named Baelfire. He was extremely embarrassed by his father's cruelty and wished to be free of it. Bael, like my mother, acquired a magic bean to go into the world with no magic and Rumple betrayed him at the last moment, abandoning his only son to keep the power.

I can't believe how selfish he is and more importantly, how much of a coward he is. He hardly seems remotely human, I can understand why Baelfire wanted out. The thing is, I haven't seen my half brother in town or my father. I start to wonder if Baelfire and I would get along, be able to relate and everything.

There is still the one thing that bugs me the most, my story is missing. My mother and I must have meant something, I mean it's not every day the infamous Dark One conceives a child with another woman. I also learned through its pages that Rumple did move on, he met, enslaved, but secretly loved a girl named Belle French. I haven't seen her either and I feel slight anguish towards her, replacing my mother...I never saw my mother date, ever, which made it clear that she never moved on from him...

I figure the only way I'm going to find my story is to go to the library, under the infamous clock tower.

...

I teleport up to the clock tower, practically in front of the door, meaning I'm getting a lot better at teleporting. I stare at its face, knowing that it holds many secrets of its own.

"Hello, anyone here?" I call into the bookstore.

A bright and cheery face peeks around a shelf of books. Her hair is long and dark brown, her brown eyes seem to have genuine kindness in them. She's dressed in a blue top with a black skirt and lavish heels.

"Good morning," she chirps happily in a French/British accent. "How can I help you?"

My vision scans over her and she's pure blue energy and a lively beating heart. She's part of a fairy tale, the question is which one. Something else catches my eye. I squint for a moment. In her lower abdomen, I see a tiny splotch of red. It looks like a heart and it beats wildly. There is an aura around this red dot and it glows a bright white.

I blink a little and my vision goes back to normal, I don't know what that was, but I'll ignore it for now.

"I'm looking for some good reads." I shrug, not really planning this all the way through.

"Well, what kind of stories are you into?" she asks cheerfully.

"Anything fantasy, just keep away from Twilight or Nicholas Sparks," I say.

"Whatever those are," she says in confusion. "Never heard of those ones."

"Don't bother, they're not worth the read," I smirk.

She smiles too and begins looking through the book shelves. I do the same, searching for something else. I let my magic take over and use it as a guide. If Henry's book has missing pages I'm going to find them. My story is missing.

I start scanning through the different titles through the shelves and shelves of books. None of the titles stand out to me. I start using my magic to see if it matches any of the books on the shelves, or giving off a similar energy.

I find the fairy tale section and move my hand along the titles.

My hand is suddenly pulled forward like a magnet to a book with no visible title. My magic starts to get excited when I make contact

I open the large book covered in gold. The book suddenly flips open on its own and

There are three words highlighted on the page...

The next chapter...

"The next chapter...?" I say quietly to myself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..." I lie. "Just found a book I like."

"Okay, I'll find some more and then you can pick your favourites."

"Thank you..." I say.

I look at the page that the book opened to. Like magic ink, words and pictures materialize across the pages, as if changing the story completely.

I recognize the photo of Rumpelstiltskin, with his devil-like grin, glowing eyes and amber brown skin. I become angered when I see him. There are many reasons for this, one being that he selfishly refused to help my mother and give up magic for her. Another is that he never tried to find us and finally...making me who I am. I'm certain that my powers come from him and I've hurt people that I love because of it. I can feel myself tear up and my hands glow slightly. I start turning the pages and an image of my mother appears, dressed in medieval clothing of a peasant. My heart beats quickly...this is it... This is my story!

I scan through until I reach the climatic throw down between my mother and the troll, confronting him about his plans for me. I discover that the reason he wanted to re-consume my heart was to fulfill his powers to full capacity as they had weakened when I was conceived and the magic was passed through the blood.

Rumple realized his mistake and persuaded my mother to try and give me up. And we all know how it ends.

I put the book under my arm and start looking through the shelves again. I peer over at the woman searching the bookshelves for me. I see her side profile and notice that the woman's hips are wider and her front is a bit rounder than normal. I immediately suspect she is pregnant and that light/energy around her middle is the baby. I also notice a silver ring around her finger, indicating marriage. She continues to hum to herself, enjoying every minute of working here.

I slowly realize that this woman must be Belle, from Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. if she's the beauty where's the beast? Is she the Belle that loved my Father? I have a hunch I might find out.

"Will these do?" Belle says, coming up to me with an armful of books.

I look at the titles, classics in every sense, all about fantasy lands. I take the pile from her.

"Perfect thank you." I smile genuinely. You can't hate this girl.

"I've never seen you before." she says.

"I'm new in town," I explain. I struggle to hold out a hand from the pile of books. "Crystal Miller."

"Belle..." she says.

"That's a beautiful name," I say smiling, trying no to seem obvious that I already guessed her name.

"Thank you yours too."

Belle and I talk for a bit. I tell her about my travels and she says she envies me, explaining she's always wanted to go out and see the world. She hopes that her husband will plan a special trip for them someday, she especially wants to go to France. We chat as she re-stocks shelves and she tells me about her favourite books and how they appeal to her. I even jokingly suggest that she could become an English teacher. She laughs.

The day begins to fade and Belle says she has to go and I ask if she has to go home and make dinner for her husband. Her grin fades slightly and she merely nods. She gives me a library card and I check out the books, shoving them into my bag. I walk out with Belle onto the street as she locks up the library.

"Nice to meet you," I say earnestly.

"You too, enjoy the books," Belle says, walking away.

Henry waves to me and runs over. I keep watch on Belle and half listen to his conversation.

I watch Belle walk along the street until she meets a man leaning on a cane. His dark amber eyes look lovingly over the girl and he brushes Belle's dark hair out of her face. He smiles, showing the dimples and wrinkles, indicating that he is much older than she. His long hair is a shade lighter than mine and his smile...I can't describe it well...so wicked. You add in the shiny bronze skin and you've got him...

My breath catches in my throat and I can feel tears in my eyes. It's as if I've seen a ghost. I can feel my powers beginning to bubble to the surface. It's as if the face from the locket has materialized in front of me. I clench my fist in anger, trying to hide the powers that have been activated. I let this new vision ability take over to confirm my suspicions. His body energy is strong, yellow in some ways, but the heart is what gets me... a faded heart, slightly red but undeniably black...as the soul...as the magic

"What's wrong?" Henry asks, noticing my sudden mood change. He looks in the direction of my glare.

I don't respond at first, overwhelmed with all the emotions of seeing him. My fists are shaking and I know I can't keep a cork on it forever. I take in a few breaths, but I know what will happen next.

"Who...is...that?" I ask in a strangled breath.

"Who him?" Henry says. "That's Mister Gold."

"Gold is it?" I mutter, what a convenient name for him...

"Are you okay Crystal? You're...OW!" he yelps when he touches my arm. "You're hot, what's your problem?!"

I don't answer and take a step closer to where Mr. Gold stands.

He looks over Belle's shoulder and meets my death stare. He squints at me in confusion...I can't tell if he can recognize me...or rather the image of my mother standing in front of him. It's more likely is that he's confused that this total stranger is glaring at him with such malice and hatred.

"Crystal..."

"Henry," I warn him. "You might want to take a few steps back this is going to get ugly really fast."

"What are you... do you know Mr. Gold?"

"Oh, way more than you know." I hiss.

Gold is looking over at me.

"Belle dearie, who is that...person over there...?"

That's it!

I feel my hands open and the built up energy explodes outwards in a shock wave, blasting people backward and setting off car alarms. Gold falls to the ground since I knocked off his support stick. Belle is not knocked over in the blast, which is fine because I wasn't aiming for her and I definitely don't want to harm her baby, who might be my step-sibling now. She continues to stare at me in sudden horror.

I've embraced my inner darkness again, the power expanding outwards faster than an elastic band.

Belle tried to help Rumple up. I raise my hand and shatter the pavement in front of them.

Finally. I think to myself, what I've been waiting for so long.

I take a step towards them.


	15. Chapter 15: Reunion

Chapter 15: Reunion

I've never felt so strong in my life. I'm empowered and at this point, unstoppable.

I pick up a car with my mind and throw it at him. My anger is my fuel. He can stop it, blasting it away with fire, but it'll never be enough. I need closure, I need to make him suffer.

"Scared yet?" I yell at him.

He just looks at me in disbelief. I keep the group behind me, they are just as horrified.

"Who the hell are you?" Emma asks, her hands glowing ready for any sudden movements from me or Gold.

"Why don't you ask the troll!" I yell, the words rolling off my tongue like acid.

Belle leans in closer to him. She truly loves him, they're married. How sweet, but the past comes back to haunt you, he must pay!

"Belle get away from him!" I warn her. "He can't keep running from his past!"

"What are you talking about?" Belle screams at me.

"Belle stay back" he growls. A fire ball forms in his hand.

"You think your little magic is going to scare me off?" I yell at him.

"That's the regular plan!" he says. "If you touch my wife..."

"I won't hurt her, because unlike you, she actually has love in her heart and cares about others!" I mean what I say, everyone in Storybrook is my friend. Everyone except him.

"You...you troll... you only care about three things, Belle, magic and yourself! What about the rest of your family? Henry, your grandson. Regina, your apprentice and "friend"... Oh Wait, I'm sorry, you don't have any."

"I care plenty"

"Really? Do you know who I am?" I ask with malice.

"I've told you before, no I haven't"

"I'm not buying that crap. Is there any story you don't show up in? You've killed and ruined countless lives, including mine!" I throw my hand down and the earth crumbles. A bright purple light emits from my hand.

"You're just willing to ruin everything around if it means you get what you want. You've made too many mistakes to hide them any longer!"

I pull up a piece of the pavement and hold it in my grasp. I hold it out and then crush it in my grasp.

Belle's face becomes horrified and Rumple still has a confused look.

"Do I look familiar to you Rumple? A lot of people say I look like my mother."

I can see he's beginning to get it, there's subtle recognition, but I need to bring it home with the big gun.

I turn back. I decide to soften my voice to show them I'm on their side.

"Snow, I need the locket that I gave Neal!"

She's paralyzed in fear, clinging to her infant son. Charming stands in front of her, sword raised, Emma and Hook prepared to strike as well.

"Snow, I need the locket." I repeat.

She fumbles in between the blankets for the locket. She removes it from around her son's blanket and throws it to me. Once I have it, I squeeze it and let my purple magic wash over it. Once the engraved name shows up I grin.

"This might jog your memory a bit more." I yell and toss it on the pavement in front of him.

He flinches at first, thinking it might explode, but it lays there lifeless in front of him.

"Let me know when you want to talk" I say with satisfaction. "You're gonna be a busy for awhile."

"Don't come any closer" Emma warns me.

"Hey Emma, I'm not a monster. I'm fixing things."

I walk towards my room at Granny's, the crowd parts like the Red Sea for me. I can tell they're spooked and frankly confused. I get an idea.

"Okay anyone who wants to hear the story, meet me in Granny's so I can buy you all a drink."

I'm standing in front of a stunned crowd, filling up the booths to the maximum, even a few people have to stand it's so packed.

"Okay..." I say in a rather too cheery voice. "Um mm, sorry about the display and the...uh car, I'll pay for it."

"Who the hell are you?" Emma snaps.

"Right to the chase...I'm Crystal Miller...I'm Gold's- Rumpelstiltskin's daughter."

There's a mumble before the room goes quiet.

"You mean... you know about Storybrooke's secret?" Henry asks.

"Yes, for a few weeks now actually." I say. "It wasn't hard to figure out in the long run and you guys didn't do a very good job hiding it"

"So what are you doing here?" Regina asks.

"Found my way here I guess..." I shrug. "I guess all those with magic or some relation to fairy tale characters find their way here eventually."

"What do you want?" Charming asks.

"Not really sure." I say. "I'll get back to you on that one, okay Charming."

Everyone eyes each other in shock and suspicion, another murmur goes around before it gets quiet again.

"For those of you who know the story of Rumpelstiltskin, the whole...straw into gold thing and the promising of her first born child was a LOT more complicated than you think it was. Regina's mom was not the Miller's daughter as everyone thought...mine was."

When no one says anything, I go on.

"There was a reason Rumple was so eager to get his claws on the baby..."

"Because it was his" Emma finishes nodding.

"Exactly"

"But how is that possible? Rumple only had Baelfire. That was it...It's...it's impossible" Snow says, cradling a sleeping Neal.

"Believe me Snow I would've said the same thing awhile back, but if the magic is any indication that I'm his...daughter..."

"But Neal was not magical" Emma points out.

"This happened after Neal left and just before the curse. First curse. Just before he met Belle." I explain. "I found all the answers in Henry's fairy tale book." I remove the book from my back pack and toss that onto the table in front of him. "That and my mom's diary." I show it to them as well.

"What did you find out?" Snow asks.

"When he knocked my mom up, she was really happy. She generally believed that she was going to get a fairy tale ending, but that changed when Rumple...my dad" The words stung to even say. "Convinced her that this baby was going to be a spawn of The Dark One, devil child, Spawn of Satan, the one that would destroy both of them etc. When she heard this, she wanted to be rid of me."

"What changed her mind?" Charming asks.

"The first time she felt me kick. Every mother has that moment when they realize that they will never love something as much as the little life they are carrying inside them. She tried to convince Rumple to run away, to place where there was no magic around them and then the baby would be normal. She even acquired a bean for the trip, but..."

"Of course" Emma groans.

"Magic before baby. He came up with some plan, saying that she could get the kingdom, the king that she was spinning gold for and that normal, happy ending, if she gave him the baby. He promised that he'd find a better home for me, a place here my magic would be used for good and all that crap. It wasn't until she heard him spinning and saying he planned to kill me and re-consume my heart."

Snow gags and everyone else puts on disgusted faces.

"Why is that?" Henry grimaces.

"He realized that he weakened himself by knocking up my mother. Magic is passed through the blood. From mother to daughter, from father to daughter, it creates a magic trail in the blood line. What better way to regain what you've lost. Plus he didn't know the gender. You know that whole prophecy about the young boy being his undoing?"

"Who doesn't?" Hook says. "We've all thought of ways to eliminate that monster"

"How could he risk it? He promised my mom everything, as long as she gave up the baby to him. When she heard this, she saw his darker side and that his love was false. She yelled at him and asked if he truly loved her. The minute he hesitated, she grabbed the bean and threw herself into the portal."

"Where'd she end up?"

"I don't really know. Her diary stops for a long time. She picks it up ten years later saying she's still pregnant and finally ready to have the baby."

"I think was Never land, she might've ended up there." Hook says.

"It never really says, but when she did have me, she couldn't have been happier and relieved. I was going to grow up a normal child in the modern world. That is until my behaviour became out of control. The dark side of me would surface more often and my mom realized that we were not safe from the magic. She knew that I couldn't help my actions, that my father's side was the darkest of them all. She still prayed that the lack of magic in the world would save us. It...started to...show when I was older. I...I couldn't control it!" I start to tear up.

Emma gets up from her seat and puts her arm around me.

"It's okay, we've all hurt the ones..."

"But I didn't hurt my mom...I...I killed her..."

I break down and sob. It hurts so much to talk about it. Her face, her horrified face when she realized what I had done. The blood, oh gawd the blood, I couldn't stop it. All I could do was hold her until she died. I told her that I was sorry and she said she loved me. I said the same and then she died. I could feel her life draining away, her soul rising up from her wounded body and entering oblivion. I was left to mourn over her silent, limp corpse, empty eyes and agape mouth at no longer breathed life. I cremated her and encased her ashes in the locket that I threw at Rumple. I really want it back now, it used to have a picture of her in it. It's what keeps me close to her, but he needs to know the truth. Own up to his actions because I am his ghost, coming back to haunt him. I can't excuse what I did, but I know how to fix it.

"Eventually I learned about what I could do and I knew I could use it for good, because unlike his, my magic has three sides, the good, the bad and the ugly...I blame him for the ugly and bad mostly. I like my magic, it's great, but the evil side always comes to the surface and nothing could stop it."

"She...she...told me in her dying breaths that she loved me and read her diary for the answers I needed. Eventually I did, and everything made sense and I knew where I had to go for answers."

"Here..." Charming says.

"I like this place, it's better than Chicago, quiet and quaint, but it wasn't before my ex started giving me trouble that I had to come here. I'm hoping to put the demons away for good."

"What do you expect to do now?" Emma asks.

"Live here I guess, never really thought beyond that, get to know my dad..."

"Wait hold up!" Emma stares at me confused. "After what you just did to him? I'm not sure if he'll ever want to see the light of day again."

"Oh he will..." I smile slightly. "He can't keep running from the past, but he also needs to take responsibility for what he did, he's missed out on eighteen years of my life and at this point, he's all I have left. Beggars can't be choosers. Unfortunately."

"So, you want to live here?" Snow asks, bouncing Neal up and down.

"If you guys'll let me. I know you probably have mixed feelings about me. You can fear me if you want, but I am not a monster. I have everything in check. I'm aware you're reluctant, after the Emma, Dark One disaster and the Snow Queen, I'm sure you've had your fill of the magic for awhile."

Snow opens her mouth to protest, but closes it, re-adjusting the blankets around her son.

"How...how do you know this?" she asks.

"It's a gift, apparently not everyone has it. I can detect magic and light wherever I go. Of course that also means I can see the darkness in others too. Everybody has a special type of energy around them and within them. When I touch people, I can see their happiest memories and their deepest fears. Each energy is special, which is how I was able to tell that Emma was the Savior and...Dad was the dark one. I can also detect other things, like the hearts of others, how Ruby is a wolf and that Henry's the author and his powers are going to show soon and how I became confused by Regina's energy, mixed..."

"Wait back up the truck...What was that about Henry?" Emma asks.

"You mean you don't know?" I ask, stunned that they don't know this.

"Know what, I'm completely normal!" Henry exclaims.

"Henry has magical potential. He was born with it. Besides having the heart of the truest believer, he has magic in his veins. Passed down from Emma. It's good magic, one of the purest forms, except for Neal's of course."

"NEAL!" Snow asks stunned. The tiny tot begins to coo in his mother's arms, clearly pleased at having a good nap. He gives a small grin and waves his hand up and down.

"You seriously don't know?!" I ask, just as flabbergasted as them. "Wow, you guys really do need me."

"Neal is normal!" Emma says. Snow nods, staring down at her baby.

"You poor people. Magic exists in almost any forms. Why do you think he came to like me so quickly? Why do you think he was drawn to the locket, a product of love?"

"Because he's a baby, babies like everyone they meet and they like shiny things" Emma says, as if it is so obvious.

"Why did the Wicked Witch want him so badly?" I ask.

"That he was a product of innocence." Regina points out.

"You poor misguided souls" I mutter to myself, scratching the back of my head.

"We're not misguided!" Snow shrieks. "It's you who's crazy!"

"I am not the crazy one, I'm the knowledgeable one. I'll show you."

"Stay away from my baby!" Snow screams, tears forming in her eyes. At that moment, Neal begins to scream.

"Now you guys have done it." I groan. I create a small ball of light and let it go free. I direct it towards Neal and Snow immediately cowers away from it, trying to hide him from my magic.

"Keep away from us" she screams, turning in to Charming for support. The ball of light turned an ugly red colour and flickers above one of the tables. Neal continues to cry, and the ball becomes redder as his tantrum becomes more distressing.

"Calm down and he'll stop crying" I say calmly.

Snow continues to bounce Neal and try to sing to him. The ball stays the same shade of red as she does so.

"You're too tense, relax..." I say.

"What do you know about raising a child?!" Snow yells.

"Plenty, I worked at a daycare for three years, but that's not important. Neal is upset because you're need to relax Snow and partially accept me as a good person."

"Why should I?" Snow squeaks. She's really upset now and Neal's screams get more intense.

"You want the baby to stop screaming?" I say simply.

"Okay..." she takes a deep breath. "Crystal...I accept you."

I look at the orb hovering above them. The colour lessens and Neal's volume goes down.

"It's not enough, you've got to say it like you really mean it." I say.

"But I don't..." The pitch in her baby's screams goes up a few octaves.

"Alright, sweetie please stop..." She pauses, probably thinking through my actions, to show I've never done anything to hurt them. I may be the Dark One's offspring, but I'd never hurt anyone who I care about.

"Crystal... I accept you"

Instantly, Neal stops crying and the ball of light turns a bright shade of yellow. He looks up at the bright light above him and coos. I bring the ball down and Neal swipes at it with his tiny hand. Snow is stunned beyond belief like the rest of the company.

"He knows good magic when he feels it" I explain. "Neal can detect emotions. I think that's part of his gift."

"What is that?" Emma asks, staring at the ball of light which I'm making dance for Neal's amusement.

"It's a orb of emotions. Something special that detects the moods of the surrounding people and expresses them through light. But I created this one, specifically for Neal. It's like a baby whispering thing, detects how he feels."

I bring the orb down in front of Neal and he touches it. The orb grows brighter than ever and when Neal giggles, it bursts into a billion little shards of light that look like stars. The stars land on Neal's tiny face and he squeals with delight.

"Did you do that?" Henry asks.

"Nope, that was Neal, it's his way of showing off his powers to everyone. He has the purest form of magic, love and he can feel it in everyone around him."

"What...what does this mean in terms of...um... training?" Charming asks.

"Don't worry, it's not gonna show until he's much older. That orb was just to show the magic inside him. He can have the most normal childhood ever. Like Emma, he's the product of true love and therefore, carries true love in his heart. But I wouldn't expose him to much too soon, he can still detect things quite quickly. So it's best to keep everyone happy."

"That'll be impossible." Emma says.

"For your family, that's for sure. Nothing is ever normal in a town like this." I snicker.


	16. Chapter 16: An Omen to the Past

Chapter 16: An Omen to the Past

"You guys want to see me confront Rumple?" I ask.

"Okay you were right about baby Neal and magic, but now you've gone off the back end of the wagon about him" Emma groans.

"Come on, no one wants to come. I promise it will be cool. He might cry!" I smile.

"I'm not backing down on the chance to seeing that crocodile suffer" Hook says with delight.

"He'll suffer alright, his past is coming back to bite him...hard." I grin.

"But how exactly are you going to do that?" Emma asks. "He's going to cast some kind of spell to protect himself."

I snap my fingers and vanish. The soft whooshing sound and the lights go out for a brief second. I end up on top of the counter in front of the cash register.

"I can teleport. I'm his child, I know all his tricks."

"I'd advise you not approach him, he's pretty..." Regina says.

"That's the beauty of it." I explain. "He won't hurt me, he can't. I'm his last reminder of my mom. He can't hurt things he loves."

"You might have an interesting way of defining love with him." Emma says.

"Anyway..."

"What exactly do you plan to do once you've avoided his fireballs?" Snow asks, adjusting Neal's blankets.

"Not really sure, but he can't hurt me, I'll be sure of that."

"I don't even know why you want to try and even make contact with him." Emma says. "I mean the guy wanted to eat your heart and then he abandoned you and your mom"

"So what, you re-connected with your family after you thought they abandoned you."

"That's different" Emma snaps. "I was the Savior and my parents actually love me..." She stops short, realizing that she let her anger go a step too far. "Sorry."

"No problem and on that note, I bid you all a good day, good night and good luck, I'm going to need it." I picture of where I want to go and snap my fingers.

My audience disappears and I end up on the counter in Gold's shop.

The entire place smells musty and like old furniture. I grab the nearest object and twirl it in my fingers. I know it won't be long before his past comes back.

It's a few minutes, as I wait in the darkness then I hear the voices.

"Not now Belle"

"Rumpelstiltskin you tell me the truth right now!"

Their silhouettes are just outside the shop.

"Just give me to chance to cast this spell, there's not telling when she might attack."

"Crystal won't attack, it's you who will."

"Get in the shop, I'll explain everything in a moment."

"Like I've heard that before" The bell of the shop rings and Belle's tired and tear stricken face appears. She doesn't notice me at first, she just leans down against the door in tears.

"He's got more than a few skeletons in his closet" I whisper.

Belle gasps and her mouth hangs open in shock.

"Chill out, I just want to talk." The piece that I've picked up begins to glow slightly, it's a piece of crystal that I think was supposed be a paper weight..

"Are...are you who you say you are?" she asks quietly.

"Where else do think the powers come from?" I answer justly.

"Y-You know he's trying to cast a spell that'll protect us from...from you"

"That's the beauty of it ." I say. "He can't always just protect himself. He can't keep using magic as an excuse for his actions."

"He'll be extremely mad."

"I'm counting on it" I say. "It's not healthy to keep things bottled up"

"Aren't you afraid of being hurt by him?"

"He won't" I say, sounding more sure than I feel. I can teleport and he won't kill his only connection to his past love.

"I'll say a sermon at your funeral" Belle says, shrugging knowing there is no way she can get me to leave.

It takes a little while before he comes inside again. Belle has gone into the back room to protect herself. I hear the shops door open and hold my breath. I just need to be quick.

"Belle I think..." his eyes meet mine.

"She's in the back if you need her" I offer helpfully.

A fireball forms in his hand, but I'm two steps ahead of him. I snap my fingers and end up elsewhere, missing the fireball easily.

"You missed" I say, peering around a bunch of shelving.

He turns and fires. He seems to be acting on instinct. I end up by the door behind him.

"Chill out Daddy."

He turns and fires again. This time I step aside and let the fireball go out the door and hit the protection spell outside.

"You're aim is really bad." I tease. I'm having so much fun with him.

I teleport again and sit on some high shelves. I pick up an object on the shelf and twirl it in my hands.

"Nice artifact, who'd you steal this from."

Another fireball.

This carries on to the point that he's going to burn the shop down.

The next time I re-appear I ask. "Are you done?"

"NEVER!" he snarled.

"Stop and take a breath." I offer.

"Stop TALKING!"

"Look at your shop, you're wife is probably terrified too."

His hand remained poised in mid-air. He's basically trying to kill something of his past. I can see the tears in his eyes, he's hurting. Must be what my mom felt like as she carried his child, the man she thought she loved.

"This is the monster Lillian saw. The beast behind that beauty. The man who wanted to kill his own child"

I can see the change in his eyes, just hearing her name puts him off his game. I can feel tears in my eyes too.

"She loved you" I say softly.

His eyes meet mine for a moment.

"Get out!" he hisses. "Get out of here!"

"How can I?" I ask. "You've sealed yourself in here with your wife and child"

"YOU ARE NOT MY CHILD!" He yells. "My only son is, was and always will be Baelfire."

"You're not exactly an ideal father anyways. Abandoned Baelfire for magic, killed your own wife with magic, destroyed and murdered for your own personal gain, with magic. Knocked my mom up and planned to eat her child's heart. I'm so happy to call you daddy"

"Stop calling me that!"

"It's the truth and you know how I know..." It's my turn to get angry. "You're stupid Dark One Powers! Your voice is the one that lives in my head. It made me the impossible child. I've hurt people, myself...mom...!"

I go down on my knees. I attempt to keep my anger under control like I've taught myself, but I can't help it. The objects on the counter begin to rattle as I press down on the emotions. It's trying to stop a volcano from exploding, pressing down so hard. It really hurts, more like a broken heart.

"It's because of you that I'm a freak. It's because of you we ended up here in this unforgiving world! IT'S... BECAUSE OF YOU MY MOM IS DEAD!"

With that last word what feels like a seismic wave of energy explodes outwards, shattering everything in its wake and blows Rumple off his feet. He hits the back wall, his cane spears itself in the wall next to him, but I'm not done. I stand up slowly and use my strength to pin him to the wall.

"Because...of...you I'm a monster... exactly like you, heartless and a void of darkness." I've reached him, we're nose to nose. I don't know why he's not trying to fight back. Fright? Probably not, weakness...Maybe. He squirms slightly desperately trying to escape, but he still refuses to meet my eyes.

"LOOK AT ME!" I yell through the tears. "Look into the eyes of your demonized child. The devil child. The Spawn of Satan, the one that would destroy you both!" I'm spitting out the words that he used to describe his helpless infant daughter.

"Is that what you want me to become? Because I can certainly fulfill it right now old man!"

"Please..." he whimpers.

"Crystal don't!" Belle's voice screams in horror.

I ignore her.

"Stay back Belle!" Rumple groans.

"No, let her come closer. Come towards the monster you created." I spit angrily. I create a line on the floor to keep Belle at bay and out of harms way. This could get extremely ugly...like him.

I use all my strength and shove him through the wall and he bashes his entire body against the force field he created. I walk slowly towards him, ripping his cane from the wall as I go. I hold it up in front of him and snap it in two. I throw the pieces in front of his crumpled form. He still won't look at me.

"No more!" Rumple mumbles.

"Why...?" I growl. "Why should I stop?"

"Because...because you've become me... You look... like me"

"Very observant!" I yell.

He looks into my eyes and I can see the genuine fear in his mind.

"So you are a human... barely." I spit.

"I...I know what I planned was wrong... What I did to her..."

"You wanted to KILL me! ME. Your own child, a tiny baby girl, who the woman was carrying her love YOU! She never got over you! In her dying words, she said your name. Her heart was yours and you crushed it! Just lie you always do to everyone around us!"

"I-I"

"You-you... what?' I mock him. "You selfish troll. Give me one reason why I shouldn't end you. Screw the dagger, I can certainly be your undoing. Why should I even spare you...YOU..."

"I LOVED HER." he yells.

I stop, my heart pretty much skipping a beat. My face unclenches slightly. I lower my hand and my magic stops.

I get down on one knee in front of him and meet his dark eyes.

"What did you say?" I ask, slightly softer.

"I loved her...I really did. You have no idea how much it killed me when she left. To see her so hurt...so..."

He lifts his hand up to my face and cups it under my chin.

"I missed out on so much... You truly are her."

I pull forward and hug him. I let the tears flow freely as I hold him tight. He smells like smoke and furniture polish, a scent I'll have get used to. I can feel his hand come down gently on my back, obviously confused.

I smile, satisfied.

"That's all I wanted..." I whisper. I push back out of the hug and meet his eyes. "All I ever wanted to hear was that you loved her. Admit that you, at anytime loved her."

I suddenly come to a realization.

"I may not have been a product of true love, but I was a product of love. It's what always kept me balanced, it keeps my...our dark sides in check. The love that we shared for her. It's what connected us."

I put my hand on his chest, where his heart would be. I can't really tell if its there or it's just an empty hole and right now I don't really care. All my life I believed that my daddy didn't love me or my mom. I know it will take a while, but maybe, just maybe, he might start tolerating my company.

Rumple pulls the locket from his pocket and tries to put on me. I wave his hands away.

"Keep it...you deserve a piece of her." I murmur. I pull the necklace my mom gave me for my first birthday, the one that had been shut in the box back in my apartment. It too is in the shape of a heart, but a crystal, silver and blue. I make it glow with my power and let it light up.

"When I first met her." Rumple whispers. "I made her trade that for the straw into gold." He's fighting back tears, he fiddles with his hand. "But I gave it back when she fell in love with me."

"It's why I'm called Crystal." I nod.

I look back and hold my hand up at the damage that I've done. Slowly, like rewinding a scene, the wall fixes itself and the damage I did to the windows repair themselves. Belle comes to the door in flurry, now that my spell has been reversed.

"Rumple!?" she gasps

She can see that I've handed the repaired cane back and I am helping my...father to his feet. We walk in slow steps towards the shop.

"So..." I say. "Can I call you Dad?"


	17. Chapter 17: Adapt to Assist

Chapter 17: Adapt to Assist

I come down to _Granny's_ for breakfast and find the usual breakfast crowd, alive and chatting. For once it feels nice to have a normal routine. I get a few weird stares, but hey I'm Rumpelstiltskin's daughter, I'm sort of used to it. I did look pretty dangerous last night, but isn't my dad more of a basket case than me? I use my magic for good, him...not so sure. We parted on rather silent terms last night, but I plan to stop by later on. I just needed some caffeine to keep me awake.

"Hey Ruby" I say, climbing onto a stool.

"Hey" she mutters.

"Can I just get some coffee to go so I won't scare your customers off."

The room suddenly becomes quiet. Everyone is staring at me like I'm serious.

"I'm kidding." I say.

News sure travels fast in a small town like this, but my display was kind of hard to miss.

Ruby hands me a cup of coffee.

"Thanks." I say, paying for it. "Keep the change"

I leave the uncomfortable silence. Once I'm outside, I begin walking towards the police station to say hello to Emma before I go to see my dad. I'm still getting the stares on the street, but for some reason this is bothering me more than it should. I basically announced that I was safe to everyone, I can understand the hesitation, but even so, I'm not a monster. I work with kids for Pete's sake.

I turn into the station and I see David and Emma scanning over some files and cleaning up the rather cluttered office.

"Morning" I say in a rather cheery voice.

"Hi" Emma says, hardly looking up from the work.

"Hi Crystal, " David says, paying more attention to me than his daughter is. "How'd it go last night?"

"Besides the fact that I caused the seismic wave and he nearly burned down his shop, I'd say pretty good."

"You and I have different definitions of good" Emma mutters.

"So did you..." David begins.

"Fix things... not really. He does have some explaining to do about why he never tried to find her and I'm going to give him my mom's diary so he can fill himself on the details of my life."

"Where exactly do you see this going?" Emma asks quizzically.

"I guess the answer, 'just wing it and see what happens' is out of the answering list'?"

"Yes." Emma says. "We don't need anymore problems right now and you...and your dad are a recipe for disaster at this point."

"It's not like anything important is happening here. Me coming here has stirred up the excitement"

"That's the problem!" Emma snaps. "There's too much excitement. We just stopped three corrupt 'queens of darkness' and human ice makers from Arendelle. We don't need World War Three to start between you and your dad, destroying Storybrooke as we know it."

I tilt my head before taking a slow sip of my coffee, burning my tongue in doing so. I'm not hurt, just unusually calm. Apparently, Emma's rage does not shake me up. I guess between my rage and Rumple's, there's enough to go around.

"You're right." I say, showing her that she can chill out. "Normal is what we're all craving right now, but remember Emma, normal never lasts, especially in a town of fairy tale characters."

With that I walk out of the office and towards the front doors. I pull my hair up into a ponytail and walk towards the shop. I pass a vacant area. I stop for a moment and peer inside. Dusty and old, not crumbling, but sturdy. I look at the For Sale sign and read that it has an apartment above. My mind starts to click into gear as an idea formulates in my mind. If I plan on living here, I'd better start looking for places. I can't stay at Granny's forever and I seriously doubt that they want Rumpelstiltskin's daughter living there permanently.

"You interested?" I hear a voice behind me.

I practically jump three feet air and I turn around to see Regina's assistent/genie/magic mirror, Sidney Glass. He has a gigantic smile on his face, the type of smile that a used car salesman would have when trying to sell their product. I stare into Sidney's gray eyes and shift slightly, little uncomfortable that he's inches from my face.

"Uhhh, sure" I say, taking slow steps back so I can have my personal space. "I didn't know you were in real estate"

"I actually am." I reaches into his pocket and hands me his card. "Once the lovely Ingrid set me free I decided that real estate would be useful in a town like this."

"Which surprises me since this is such a small town. Have you sold any since?"

The pasted on grin fades and I know I've caught him. He has zero experience in anything remotely similar to real-estate, but he can hardly pass up the opportunity to make a bargin.

"Hardly pass up a bargin, you're just like my dad" I smirk.

"Ah yes...you are Crystal Gold?"

"Miller." I say with distaste. I have to live with the fact that he's my father, but I'm in no way ready to take his last name. "My name is Crystal Miller."

"My mistake, I am aware of the destruction of property you did yesterday evening and your name has been whispered in the town since then"

"I'm going to pay for that car, besides he did more damage to his own shop than anything else."

"So you are in fact Gold's daughter?"

"Yes Mr. Glass, I am Rumpelstiltskin's daughter." I roll my eyes. It still hurts to say those words.

"I sense the anger in that statement. I will not blame you, being related to a monster like that." Sidney's eyes go wide when he realizes he's overstepped. "I...I'm sorry"

"It's fine." I shrug. "I've called him that many times over the past few weeks."

"I'm sure you have."

"So what should I know about this building?" I ask, trying to change the subject. He opens the door with a set of keys. The place smells pretty musty, with dust all over the front counter and in the air as we have disturbed the atmosphere. Large white sheets cover certain pieces of furniture and look and there is a spiral staircase that most likely leads to the apartment. It's pretty small, but it could suit me for certain things. My mind begins reeling as to the possibilities of what I could make here. My magic begins to get excited.

"This building was built 28 years ago as you may know, but has been abandoned for the longest time. I believe it used to be a clothing store or boutique during the first curse. No one knows what happened to the owner. The speculation was that the owner passed on before the second curse was cast, very unfortunate."

"Is it in good working condition?"

"I believe so, all the appliances are included and it does have air conditioning, as well as heating for the winter."

"Can I go upstairs?"

"Absolutely take your time."

I climb the stairs, unlock the trapdoor at the top of the stairs and enter a loft, similar to the one I had in New York. There's hardwood floors as well as three windows on each wall with boards nailed to them. There's an old chandelier covered in cobwebs. I test the lights, still in working order. I can picture where my stuff might go as well if I have guests, it could be a great hang out.

I feel like if I'm gonna be here in Storybrooke, where I belong with all the other fairy tale characters, I should make the most of it. Trying to become close to my dad would be what Mom would've wanted for me and guess in the long run, him.

I walk down the stairs and I see Sidney standing there, with the same stupid grin on his face. I know he's waiting for an answer.

"How soon can I move in?" I say.

Sidney can hardly contain his excitement, he pumps his fist up in excitement and then snaps out of it, trying to be professional.

"I'm not sure, would you like to make an offer."

"Come on Sidney, you know and I know that no one else has touched this place or wants it. I'm willing to buy the entire building for a decent price."

"I...I... I'm willing to accept an offer."

"I'll give you two hundred for the whole place. No need for rent or anything."

"Two Hundred?" he gasps as if I've just stabbed him. "That's extremely cheap. This is prime real estate young lady. I'm expecting..."

"Four" I say. I'm an excellent negotiator and my secret is that I don't let the other get too many words in.

"I thought the place worth at least a..."

"Six fifty and lets call it a day." I snap.

"I...I"

"Seven and I'll buy you coffee for a month."

His eye brows raise.

"Ruby's Latte Supreme?"

"With the caramel sauce and chocolate sprinkles" I add. I pay attention to stuff like this and I make the latte appear in his hand. He takes a sip and smiles. I know I've won him over.

"You've got yourself a deal!" He says with excitement. We shake hands and he hands the key over to me. I conjure up the paperwork and sign where I need to and hand them over to Sidney. I write him a cheque for the money, knowing that I'm saving a lot more than I thought. I shake hands with him again and we walk out together. I lock the place up, knowing I have to go to my dad's shop. I wave good bye to Sidney whose grinning from cheek to cheek. We walk in opposite directions. I take another sip of my cooled coffee and walk towards the shop.

I'm contemplating what just happened. I know I was stalling when I peeked in the window, wanting to delay the meeting with my dad, but now I have a home in Storybrooke. A lot can happen in fifteen minutes.

I start slowing down as I reach the front door. The drapes are drawn on the window, but I can sense movement behind it. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. I'm going to meet my father for the third time, knowing the first two did not go well as planned. I shove the key to my new apartment in my pocket and take another sip before opening the door.

The bell rings almost ominously as I enter. I don't see anyone at first, I guess Belle went to the library to work, which leaves the two of us. I take slow steps towards the counter. I can hear shuffling in the back room and know that he's either hiding or up to something. I place my coffee on the counter and start looking at some of the old stuff on a nearby shelf. There's what looks like a shrunken head, a wooden totem, carved to look like an eagle. There's a bag of stones that glow different colours. I find a china teapot with dainty little paintings of flowers and rabbits around the circumference. I look a little closer and find a thick chunk of stone that has something engraved on it, I peer at it and place my hand on it. Behind it there's pieces of steel that look like part of a broken sword. Curiosity gets the best of me and I touch it.

Suddenly, the blood starts pumping in my head and my vision blurs. I see two men in suits of armour clashing with swords. It looks like some kind of duel and I'm merely a spectator. The scene gets more and more bloody as both of them stab at each other. The battle ends when one soldier goes down and the standing knight attempts to slice his head off. What happens next is shocking. The sword shatters and the knight that struck is thrown backwards with such force that he lands against a tree, knocking him out for sure. I watch as the knight that was about to beheaded stands up and removes his helmet. The breath catches in my throat, it's Rumpelstiltskin. He walks over to the knight and snickers with pure evil behind it.

"All magic comes with a price..." he grins and reaches into the guy's chest. The bile catches in my throat as I can pretty much guess what'll happen next. I drop the shard.

I look up and Rumple is standing against the counter.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to touch things that weren't yours?" he grins.

"I was thinking the same thing about you and mom" I retort back. I put the shard back on the shelf and turn to face him. He leans against his cane, either showing his age or disability. I can tell he doesn't really have a lot to say to me, the same applies to me, but I didn't come here for no reason.

"Where should we start?" I ask.

"Start for what?" he grimaces.

"I guess the beginning is best... Why did you hate me?"

"I don't..."

"Cut the crap, I hate you, You hate me, pretty sure mom hated you too." I growl.

"I did what I could."

"You did nothing!" I sputter. "It was all about you and only you. It was always about you. She gave up everything for you. She loved you and you...you" I'm tearing up now, I'm working hard to keep the anger bottled up.

"I let her go." he sighs.

"Into a strange world, pregnant with your child. You didn't give a...You wanted power, that's all you ever wanted!"

"I loved her!" he barks.

"Not enough to leave that power behind and raise your own daughter and with a woman who loved you."

"I couldn't..."

"Couldn't risk it huh? Again all about you? I bet that's what she thought. Well...I'm a girl, and I want so badly to be your undoing right now. You wanted to eat the heart of your own fricken infant daughter!" I slam my fist against the counter and my palm is starting to glow purple.

"It was my biggest regret..."

"What letting her go or not eating my heart?"

"The first one!" he snaps back. The glow becomes stronger. I can feel the tension and temperature rising meaning he's getting pretty angry too. "Both."

"Did you even think about her after she left?"

"I thought of her everyday until..."

"Until you met Belle. Your true love." I roll my eyes.

"The heart does move on."

"Well she never did!" I hiss angrily. "She always had that longing for you and she loved you till the day she died."

"Who's fault was that?"

"YOURS!" I snap. "You became the Dark One! You inherited the dark magic, your stupid decision! No one asked you to become such a TROLL! You made me! Even though you weren't in my life, I always heard your voice in my head. Your stupid little, cackling voice that convinced me to bad things. Hellish things. You and your magic."

I open my palm and the purple forms into an orb.

"It's not who I am, it's never been who I am. My name is Crystal Miller, I worked for three years at a daycare center and I volunteer at the hospital. I even worked at a soup kitchen I want to help people, but instead I'm stuck with the evil side of you."

"You think that they'll accept you now that you've shown it? Now that they know who you truly are?"

"They are my friends."

"They were your friends. Now that you've revealed your past, you'll be alienated for sure." he smirks deviously. "I'll bet it's happening already. They look at you like you're a demon. I maybe the Dark One, but I can sense that you're even darker. Why deny your true nature?"

"Because that's not who I am!" I spit angrily. "I was born out of love... mostly and the others have seen the good in me and I love them as they love me."

"I'm sure." he grins. "Tell me has Emma or Snow actually talked to you normally since you revealed your magic?"

I stop for a moment and swallow. I take a breath and practically try to put the cork on an exploding volcano.

"You must face the truth... I was right when I said all those things to your mother about being a demon. It seems like you had a very pure and innocent childhood, did you not? Alone were you? Much like I was, alone with only one that loved you because they had to? And what happened when they died? You become the monster others know you are."

"I've killed once!'" I hollered. "How many have you killed? Don't try to make me out to be like you...I'm not I have love and I have friends and I never asked for powers of to be created, you did that on your own with your selfish and purely evil decisions!"

He is silent for the first time. He can't deny the truth because it's staring at him in disgust. I pick up the crystal paper weight and turn in purple in my grasp. I feel that I could crush it, I'm so angry.

"What...What would you like me to do? Take away your magic? There's a hat that will take you from this world forever so you won't end up a monster like me. You want me to consume your heart? I'm sure the others would be pleased by your demise."

"There are a lot of things I want. I want a mother who is still alive and gives me hugs. I want a boyfriend that doesn't disappear all of a sudden. I want everyone in the town to stop staring at me like I'm you. I want a father that isn't some sociopathic troll and actually has a heart in his chest. I want him to love me...! But do I get it? NO!"

I stop short and realize that this has been the anger that's been inside all these years. I've tried to compress it and turn it into hate towards him, but in the end, I want a father. I want some form of family. I can't bring my mother back, so he's the only thing I have left. Him and Mason...if he ever comes back.

I begin analyzing all the pieces on the shelves, touching each one to sense the energy and learn the stories. I end up browsing behind a shelf for a moment when I find a picture frame made of carved seashells. It appears to empty until I touch it and a picture of my mom and a white and brown puppy appear, moving and waving to the invisible camera.

"When was this taken?" I ask, peering around the shelves.

I show him the frame and he frowns before smiling and taking it from.

"I'm impressed that you can detect magic as quickly as me."

"Something that runs in the blood"

"I bought her that mutt after she married the king. It was my wedding present to her." He smiles sadly, tearing up slightly. "She called it Joseph after her father."

"What happened to him?" I ask.

"She entrusted the puppy to me and my castle was his home until..."

"You blurted the truth..." I encourage him.

"There was...little truth in what I was saying..."

"And she left and I..."

I put my hands to my mouth and tear up. I shouldn't have been surprised, Rumpelstiltskin is not known for keeping his emotions in check, if last night is any indication.

"I...I tried to bring him back, but many spells cannot be undone."

"You really are a monster..." I hiss angrily. "Killing an innocent animal because he reminded him of her. Why didn't you set him free?"

"You'll find out really quickly dear that I don't have a good track record of keeping things alive."

I say nothing, not wanting to make it work. I take the frame from him.

"Can I keep this?" I ask quietly.

"Of course..." he pauses for a moment. He stumbles over to behind the counter and lifts out a collar made of gold. I get a little choked up, but also really angry. I pick it up and I see a vision the small white and brown puppy leap in circles.

"His ashes are in here." Rumple offers a small wooden box to me. I run my fingers over the top, but I try to ignore the visions of his horrible death.

Our eyes lock for a moment and I give him a very weak smile. I guess he's not a total monster, he does have sentiment and at least part of a heart.

"Your mother would have wanted you to have the ashes. She loved that dog almost more than you and even me."

"I'm sure she did, she loved with her heart and soul." I murmur.

I decide we've had enough "togetherness" for one day.

"I'll see you later, I have an apartment to move into." I say, taking the collar and ashes. I go through the door still wanting to leave my "father" with questions.

It doesn't matter what he says. I am not a monster like him. I have friends and I care about them. I finally have a home where I truly fit in and I'm where my mother always wanted me to be. I may be estranged with my father, but if i can prove anything, it is that I conquer anything.

Storybrooke is my new home and I love it.


	18. Chapter 18: Comfort for Three

Chapter 18: Comfort for Three

I walk out of the shop and go up the street. It's not the reunion I wanted, but it's a start. I see Snow outside with baby Neal's stroller as she talks to Hook and Emma. I'm a bit weary in approaching them, but decide it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

As I approach they don't seem to notice me, either that or they're ignoring me. The one who doesn't ignore me is the tiny little prince. Once he sees me he coos and gurgles with delight.

"Hi buddy." I say, smiling and I let the tot grab my finger.

Snow suddenly jerks the stroller away, clearly not ready to let me be near Neal.

"Sheesh, I was only saying hello." I mutter, taking a step away. "Easy does it Mommy dearest."

"Don't call me that!" Snow snaps, clearly not comfortable with being around me.

"Easy Snow I don't bite." I protest.

"No, but you're Rumple's child and yesterday proves that you're just as unpredictable as him."

"I'll pay for the car..." I practically whine.

"That's not the point!" Snow practically screams. "My point is that you are a danger to children and everyone else around you. I do re-call what happened with the kids at the daycare! You could have hurt them!"

Emma's hands go over her mouth and Hook's jaw drops. That was a stab in the heart.

"Are you asking for my dark side to take over?" I warn her. I can feel my powers warming up, but I try to talk myself down. She's just upset. Her worries are justified that I am a danger, sometimes, but that's only when you make me mad.

"No I'm trying to prove a point. You are in no way safe or stable."

"And like Emma isn't completely in control of her powers too." I protest. "She's had her issues too."

"Leave my daughter out of this! At least I'm her mother and I love and care for her!"

"Mom..." Emma says, trying to calm her down. "She doesn't mean this she's..."

"Of course I mean every word. You're too dark. it's clear to everyone that you are just like your father and always will be. You hide behind that facade of working with kids and appearing normal, but you're ruthless and as evil as they come. Who else has ever killed their own mother?"

I can feel the tears welling up and my throat closes. The dagger goes deeper into my heart. I can hear Neal screaming, clearly distraught from sensing the confrontation. Emma does her best to pick up her brother and calm him, but I know that Snow is not done. A crowd is now gathering with the commotion. I feel sick to my stomach. I can feel I'm being tested to see if I really am the Dark One's daughter.

"Maybe I wouldn't be evil if you guys just got it through your heads that I'm not like my dad. You accepted me before I even showed you my powers. You thought that I was good. You trusted me enough to baby-sit your son. I feel that all of you are hypocrites and I'm the only honest one right now. You think you're heroes. You're perfect and you represent goodness and love. Guess what? We all have a darker side. No one is perfect and everyone has secrets in their past that they want kept hidden. We have that dark spot on our hearts. Why is it the minute I show my powers, that I become the town freak show?! Why is it that my parentage defines who I am and why do my mistakes define me?! What about Emma and Regina? They have powers so why are they not on display and being alienated? What about my dad?! You all seem to trust him enough to allow him to still live in town, within fifty feet of all of you? Why me above all WHY ME?! Huh?! What kind of hero are all of you to judge me so harshly?Maybe the best way to keep my dark side away is to give me the love and acceptance that I had before the powers came up!"

My yelling lands on silence, except for the baby's screams . Throughout my speech, there are tears in my eyes and my throat burns. I can feel my powers trying to boil up and over, but I won't let them. I need to control myself. These powers are controllable and they don't define me! If they want control...I'll give them control.

Neal continues to whine and cry. I think I've said my piece and I turn towards my apartment. We've drawn quite a crowd. I'm sure everyone in town is watching by now and I feel humiliated beyond belief. I fumble with my key and enter the downstairs part of the apartment. I slam the door hard enough to practically break it off its hinges. I go up the spiral staircase and collapse on the floor, since there is no bed.

Is this how it ends? With me becoming the villain like my father said? I can't help but be this way. I am who I am. I curl up into a ball and weep for my mother. Of all the times I need her, now would be the most important. I don't want to be what Rumple says I am fated to be. I want to be normal and good at the heart. I long for the freedom of being who I am and being accepted by the people I care about. I know that I'll never really get rid of my dark side or my past, but I've learned to live with it. Love and acceptance is what keeps it under control and the rejection is bringing everything to the surface again.

For the rest of the day I'm in isolation, not even bothering to look out the window. I'm rocking back and forth and crying silently to myself. I miss everyone, I even miss my father a bit, which seems crazy.

Suddenly there's a knock on the trap door that leads downstairs.

"Go away Emma!" I shout, figuring she's apologizing on behalf of her mother.

"It's not Emma. It's Regina"

"Oh, it's unlocked"

I stare over as Regina climbs up the stairs, through the trap door. She stands in the middle of the room awkwardly for a moment.

"What do you want?" I mumble into my sleeve.

"To provide a little comfort." She says, getting a little closer to me.

"What comfort can you offer me? You're the wicked queen."

"Was" she corrects me. "I was and I know you can relate to me."

"How?" I say, avoiding her eyes. She reaches over and rubs my shoulder. I can tell she's not used to trying to comfort someone. "You kill your own mother in a fit of rage?"

"No Snow did that, but I can understand your position. You're confused and scared. It wasn't too long ago that I was getting those looks from the others when I changed sides. It was all based on my past and who I was written out to be"

"But you changed that for Henry's sake." I say. "It was out of love."

"Exactly and I'm sure, like me, you know that love is your strongest ally. It's what changes you..."

"What keeps you balanced..." I continue.

"Yes," she smiles and sits next to me, putting her arm around me. "I know love can't bring your mother back, but it's what gives you a second chance at trying something new, being who you want to be, not who some stupid author or who your father claims you to be."

I lean my head on her shoulder, appreciating the comfort. She's right. I did change after what happened, I picked up my life and put it together. I finished school, got a job working with kids, found love and now, I've found where I truly belong, despite the mistreatment.

"I haven't talked to anyone like this since my mom died." I confess to her. "I don't care what your energy or what the others say about you Regina, you're a good mother and good confidant."

"Thank you. I see a lot of myself in you and I know you just needed a little love to get you on the right track."

"Thank you." I mutter. Pulling Regina into a full hug and I cry silently for a little while. She's right, I can be who I want to be, nothing else.

Once I pull back, I stand up and walk to the center of the room.

"So this is your new apartment." Regina says. "Sidney wouldn't shut up about the sale he made."

"I got a fricken steal for 700 bucks." I smirk. "I'm an excellent negotiator."

"Guess you get that from Gold."

"Probably, but I'm trying to work on the style. I'm thinking an almost nostalgia look to the apartment to go with the staircase and chandelier."

"Stay away from nostalgia, go more modern." Regina suggests. "It's a better option when you want to have guests over."

I use my magic and take down the boards and let the moonlight in. I start conjuring up curtains, trying to decide on a style.

"You should have seen my loft in New York." I say. "Talk about modern."

"I see that as your style." Regina smiles.

I conjure up some purple curtains, but then change to white to match the crystal chandelier.

"Are you going to need help moving?" Regina asks.

"You really don't understand the extent of magic do you?" I say. I picture most of my furniture and use my magic. My bed and most of my properties appear in a heap in front of me.

"Where should my bed go?" I ask Regina.

"On the back wall is best, especially if you don't like to wake up early."

I take her advice and position it the way I want. I conjure up a crystal ornament to hang above my bed. I decide to put the dining room table next to the window facing the street to the south. I put my mini fridge in the corner behind the table and put my book shelves beside the east window. I organize my books as I want them to be. I create a crystal glass nightstand with my clock radio and lamp, which I change to white. I make up two bean bag chairs and a fancy circular chair around my mini T.V.

Once the major appliances are dealt with. I start to think about what to hang on the walls.

"Try some modern art. You should have seen my office when I was mayor."

"I've seen pictures of it. You really like mirrors." I wink. Regina smiles.

I conjure up a full body mirror across the room from my bed. I have a blank area behind the wall. I find my bulletin board and sort through some of the pictures. I staple the ones I want by hand. Pictures of me and the daycare kids when we went on a trip to the aquarium. I stick a few more that survived the incident. I begin framing the picture of my mother and I on my first birthday while Regina helps me sort through the rest of my personal belongings. I don't really care if she wants to go through my things, she'll get to know me better that way.

Once I finish pinning on the board, it looks rather empty and I let out a sigh.

Regina looks up at me and looks at the wall.

"Kind of empty huh?" I ask.

"Hopefully you'll make more memories here, where you belong." Regina says.

"Hopefully you'll have the happy ending you wanted." I say in return.

"You really are not like your father at all. You have a good heart in there"

"Why would I be like him? I've always been torn because of my actions. I've always had a conscience and a heart. It's the Dark One's powers and my mothers love, the most unlikely mix to create me."

"You certainly are unique." Regina smiles. She flips through few more pictures and lands on a picture of me and Mason. "Who's the handsome devil?"

"My former boyfriend. Said he loved me and he was the man I loved. He said he knew about my past and Storybrooke, but he's dropped off the map completely. He's the reason I ended up finding Storybrooke and my dad"

"Where could he possibly go and what story is he part of?" Regina asks.

"No idea." I say. The wound is still pretty fresh and it hurts to think about him. I miss the sound of his voice and his smile. He's the one who kept me from going out of control. I haven't thought about him for a little while with all the family drama going on.

"I need to find him." I say. "The problem is I don't know where to look."

"He'll find you." Regina says as re-assurance.

I know she's just saying that, but it helps a little. The lights flicker slightly when I think about him. I want him back...here so we can have the life he promised me we would have.

The next few days are quiet for the town, but not for me. I wake up with throbbing headaches in the morning and I can feel my stomach burning for some reason. The burning sensation is what I think leads to the me being unable to eat food. I'm constantly vomiting after breakfast, unable to keep food down. I spend the rest of the days in pain and with the burning sensation in my stomach, it's hard to get anything done downstairs. I don't know what I want to turn it into yet and the sickness is making it harder for me to make a decision. I'm weak and unable to do things properly.

My absence does not unnoticed. Regina brings me a few meals for my fridge and we just talk about nothing in particular. I enjoy the company and trust she gives me. I often can sense Emma's presence outside across the street, debating whether to come in or not. I wait, I'm patient, and hopefully this stomach bug will pass through so I'm more presentable.

I'm moving some boxes down the stairs when I hear the door to the shop open. I expect it to be Regina.

"Hi Regina, I'm glad you came..."

In front of me is Snow, Emma and Baby Neal in the stroller. The words catch in my mouth and we go into an awkward silence.

"Wasn't expecting you..." I say in disgust at Snow. I know the attitude is unnecessary, but she's treated me pretty badly. "But Emma, by the way you're a terrible spy."

"I wasn't spying." Emma says. "I was working up the courage to talk to you again."

"Understandable for you, but what is the ex-princess doing here and with her baby that I'm too dangerous to be around."

Snow is silent for a long while. She has a hard time looking me in the eye, I don't know if it's out of fear or anger, but she does not want to be here. I start to assume that Emma made her come to apologize for the way she acted. I may sense energies, but not emotions...that's Neal's power.

The little guy is gurgling in his stroller, holding his fingers as if discovering whose they are. I take a step closer to him and I can see Snow shift uncomfortably. Emma grabs the stroller, preventing Snow from moving him away from me. I get a little closer and his eyes light up with excitement. He babbles and drools a bit and shoves a toy in his mouth.

"How are you big guy?" I say softly. "You been sitting up yet? Or are you teething."

Neal continues to suck on the toy and I bring a rattle up and shake it in front of him. He smiles and reaches out eagerly.

"He's very special you know?" I say to no one in particular. "I think he can sense the goodness in people like I can."

I create an orb of light and I hear Snow suck in a breath in anger. I dangle the orb in front of Neal and he gurgles in response. He reaches up for it and the light shines brighter and brighter. I let Neal put his tiny hand around it and hold it in his tiny fist. He swings his fist around and looks like he's about to throw it, but instead he reaches out and lets the light go. The light comes back towards me and I make it burts into stars, which Neal finds delightful. I tickle him under the chin and he reaches out and grabs my shirt to put in his mouth. He uses his free hand to grab for my finger and clutch it tightly. There's nothing more magical than a infant's innocence and love.

I suddenly feel my stomach shift and the sensation in my stomach comes back. I keel gently over in pain and hold at my stomach. Emma rushes to my side and asks me if I'm alright. I suck in a breath, thinking I'm going to be sick again, but instead, my stomach settles slightly. The burning has now become a light glow. I close my eyes for a moment and meditate on the meaning of the sudden change. I'm now more comfortable and the glow pulses quickly almost like a...

My breath catches in my throat and I grab at Neal's stroller to balance myself. I'm putting the pieces together in my head and I finally know the reason.

"Are you okay?" Emma asks again, bringing me back to reality.

"Fine...I think."

"What do you mean?" Snow asks incredulously. I know she's afraid I might explode at any minute and she wants Neal to be safe.

"You know what you said to me about being dangerous around children?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I was..."

I cut her off. I press my hand on my abdomen and I can feel the energy there.

"I hope to God that you are wrong because a new one is about to enter the picture."


	19. Chapter 19: Search

Chapter 19: Search

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Snow squeaks out. "How can you even tell?"

"Morning sickness," I explain. "And the energy inside me. At first, I thought it was a stomach bug, but the energy has its own heart beat."

I rub my flat stomach and smile. It is a bit over whelming and I have no idea where Mason is, but I have life inside me. I can't be a danger anymore. This baby was a product of true love, this time I'm sure of it.

Emma stares down at my stomach for a long minute and then pulls me in for a hug.

"I know this is frightening and it's going..."

"Emma I'm not scared!" I say, sounding surer than I feel. "I have a life inside me!" I can barely contain my tears, it's either that or the hormones. "Besides, you've had a baby, Snow's had two. Aurora, Belle..."

"BELLE," Emma and Snow say at the same time.

"Yeah...you couldn't tell?" I ask.

"How-How did you know?!" Snow asks. "We didn't know until we were in the Underworld and Hades was after her."

"I'm pretty sure it's the powers, I can detect and see energy, and I saw a small white light inside her abdomen, plus her general shape of her body gave it away."

Both women look at me in disbelief and Emma shakes her head in amazement. I can

"I'd want to congratulate her and tell them that I'm pregnant, but Dad's a little steamed right now."

"Is there a time when he's not?" Emma asks, rolling her eyes.

"Chill Emma, do you guys want to come up and see my room? Regina helped me decorate it?"

Snow bites her lip and begins to fuss over Neal to buy herself some time. Emma shrugs and nods. She follows me upstairs through the trap door and into my well lit room.

"Wow!" Emma says, taking in the surroundings. She looks up at the chandelier and admires my appliances.

"Want some coffee?" I offer.

"Sure..." I guess she's surprised I'm inviting her so warmly into my home. I conjure up a fresh pot and pour two cups in mugs. Emma's by my bed, admiring my display of pictures.

"You really do love kids don't you?" Emma smiles, before taking a sip of the coffee selects one of the kids. "Who's this cute little guy?"

I look where she's pointing and I've noticed she's picked out Brendan.

"Brendan. He was the newest kid to class before I left."

"Clinging to that frog pretty tightly."

"He never parts with it. It's name is Prince." I say, bringing back the flow of memories of my time at the daycare. "He loves the thing to death, he says it is from his real mommy."

"Adopted?" Emma asks.

"Yeah...he was adopted from..." My mind hits the connection. I practically spill coffee on myself in shock. "He was adopted from here!"

"What?!" Emma gasps.

"I saw his file, he was born in Storybrooke and adopted."

I drop my coffee and head for the trap door. I go down the stairs and start walking up the street towards the hospital.

"Crystal wait!" Emma yells, rushing after me.

"No time Emma, if his parents are looking for their kid..."

"Why would he have been given up then?" Emma protests.

"Every kid should still know who their parents are." I protest. "I'm living proof!"

Emma swallows hard. She can't argue with that. Even though she stayed away from Henry , he found her on his own, wanting to know about his birth mother. She was also the Savior, but that's another issue altogether.

I hop into my car and start it up. I roll my window down to talk to Emma.

"Come, don't come, but this kid has a right to know where he came from."

"He's five and he still believes in the tooth fairy. He also only wants a cookie and a nap. He doesn't know stuff like this when he's this young."

"Henry was only ten when he found you."

That gets her to stop and swallow hard again.

"Fine, but we're also getting the pregnancy theory cleared up. You never took a test, you need more proof."

"Deal," I say and speed down the main road.

I pull up at the Storybrooke General Hospital and go through the sliding doors. I go up to the receptionist.

"I need to see Doctor Frankenstein!" I say breathlessly.

The receptionist looks at me.

"You mean Dr. Whale?" she asks.

Why do these people insist on trying to make Story Brooke out like its a normal town.

"Yes, who's counterpart is Dr. Frankenstein from Mary Shelly's novel of the same name. We're wasting time lady!"

Emma comes up behind me.

"She suspects she's pregnant Francine." Emma explains for me. "She's a little antsy and nervous about it."

"Dr. Whale is busy at the moment, but he can see you next if you'd like."

"Thank god!" I say anxiously. I go over to a chair. Emma comes to join me. I start scanning around the room, looking for where the documents might be stored, anything that looks official enough to give me information about Brandon's record here. He has to know where he came from and I'm sure his parents would too. I start to wonder why the names were blotted out, I doubt that would be done in a closed adoption. I also want to know if I am in fact with child. If the energy in my body is like a little heartbeat, that means I have life inside of me. More importantly Mason's child. My heart twists at the thought of him so I push the thoughts from my mind.

I start tapping my leg anxiously and begin twirling little lights coming from the tips of my fingers.

"Do you have to do that right now?" Emma groans.

"What?" I say. "I thought you guys accepted me for who I am."

"We did...it's just that we...don't use magic casually like that."

"Sheesh you guys run a tight ship around here." I say.

"We're trying to have a normal existence for as long as possible."

I shoot Emma a look.

"Normal...?" I snicker.

"Don't start!" Emma warns me and I drop the subject.

She and I are almost becoming sisters, which is fine because I've always wanted a sibling. I did have Baelfire/Neal as a half sibling, problem is I never met him. If he was good enough to date Emma, get her pregnant, but give her Henry and die a hero, he's okay in my book. And if my hunch is right about Belle, I may get another half sibling pretty soon. The problem is trying to convince her to either take a test and/or come see Frankenstein.

It feels so weird about the fact that I'm letting the Victor Frankenstein check to see if I have a baby inside me. The man who brought a creature back to life from sewn up body parts. My stomach shifts slightly. I did read the book in high school, but it never really grabbed me. Who ever knew that it was based on fact.

A nurse comes out with a clipboard.

"Dr Whale will see you now." she says.

I stand up and go to follow the nurse. I stop when I realize Emma isn't coming.

"Come on." I say.

"You cant be serious?" Emma scoffs me. "This is a private matter and I'm sure you don't want me there."

"I need moral support." I insist. It's the truth, the father is not here, so the next best thing is a friend. "Please."

"Fine" Emma says.

...

"Good evening Crystal." Dr. Frankenstein says to me, coming in with a clipboard and dressed in a white lab coat.

"Good evening Dr...Whale." I say, sitting on a chair next to the ultrasound machine. Emma sits in a chair next to me.

"I understand that you think that you're with child?"

"Yes sir." I say.

"And what drew you to that conclusion?"

"Vomiting/morning sickness, and the energy I sense inside me. I know the magic part isn't scientific, but I missed my period this month too."

"Well let's investigate shall we?" he says. He turns the monitor on and grabs the wand. I lift up my shirt to expose my lower stomach. He applies the gel and begins waving the wand along my stomach. I hold my breath as I hear a lot of noise, until he gets closer to my abdomen and a consistent and a soft beating sound is heard. I can feel the tears welling up and I put my hand to my mouth. Emma too tears up and smiles at me. The screen doesn't show much and why would it? I would only be a month or more. The beating is fast and it's the most beautiful sound in the world. I have a piece of Mason inside me. I'm going to be a mommy.

"Congratulations, Ms. Miller, you're pregnant."

I grab Emma's hand and she squeezes it comfortingly. I look at the screen. There's a tiny spot where my baby is most likely growing. I put my hand on the screen and sigh.

"My baby..." I whisper.

"You're approximately a month along. 4 weeks or more. I'll give you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins and set up another appointment. I'll give you a list of things to avoid including highly stressful situations and that includes ones with your father."

I roll my eyes and wipe my stomach clean before sitting up, news here cannot be told any faster.

"Thank you, doctor, I'll keep that in mind. Let me know when Belle has her next sonogram, I'd like to see my new step-sibling," I say and shake the good doctor's hand.

Once we're out of the room, I lean over and give Emma a hug.

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Is was my pleasure." she says, patting my back, indicating it's time to break up the hug. "It's always amazing to hear the heart beat."

"What did you think when you heard Henry's?"

Emma's smile fades quickly and she goes quiet.

"I...I wept..." she sighs softly. "Out of sadness not joy. I knew I would have to give this kid up and give him his best chance. I didn't..."

I realize that Emma is reaching down deep and telling me something extremely dark and hard to talk about. I stop in the hall and put my arm around her.

"I was even...even... praying for a miscarriage for the longest time." She's crying now, but I understand. Henry was a gift that she did not need at the time, being in prison when it happened. She gave birth to him and set him up for adoption to give him his best chance.

"O-Once I...I-I considered." She sobs harder into her hand She even considered an abortion.

"But it was the heart beat that changed your mind?"

"I know it was wrong and I hate myself everyday for it...and...and seeing you so happy to see your baby..."

She says nothing more and just nods. I pull her into another hug and she clings to me for support.

"It's okay Emma." I whisper softly. "We've all thought about doing things that are so dark and unimaginable that we'd rather die than talk about them. You're the bravest woman I know to be honest about it."

"I just never want Henry to find out. Please..."

"Your secret is safe with me." I stop and think for a second. What if my mom considered the very same thing when she was pregnant with me? My heart felt like it was stabbed, but considering the type of child I turned out to be, who my father was and the lies he told to her...It didn't surprise me.

We stand and just hug for a long time, embracing the silence that befalls us. I can feel the warm glow in my stomach, so happy that I'm with child.

Eventually, we break the hug and start walking. Once we pass the reception desk, I stop, remembering the other reason I came... to find Brendan's parents. I remember the names of who his birth parents were supposed were blotted out and I want to know why. The receptionist isn't around, probably on a coffee break.

I leap over the desk and sneak into the back room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma hisses.

The room is filled with thousands of files stacked high. Most of this stuff is done on computers these days, guess the hospital hasn't got around to it. I open the nearest filing cabinet an begin flipping through the files.

"I told you I came for two reasons. The first is fulfilled and now the second..."

My eyes scan through the thousands of names between each folder. I open another drawer with my magic and pull the files out, flipping through them.

"Just let me search or better yet help me. This kid has a right to know where he came from. if you don't like it, then just keep watch."

Emma opens her mouth to argue, but I zone anything else she might say. I remember his last name is Anderson and he's five so, his birth date is 2010. I'm in 2014, the section that Neal would be in. I slam one drawer and go into another. 2013. I'm getting closer.

I go to the next filing cabinet and find 2010. I finally see the name I want and pull the folder out.

Brendan Naveen James Anderson

I open the folder.

"Someone's coming!" Emma hisses anxiously. "We are so dead, and I'm the sheriff of the town."

"Come on." I roll my eyes. Has Emma forgotten what both of use are capable of? I grab her hand and snap my fingers. We end up on the street outside next to my car.

"You seriously need to practice magic more often." I mutter.

"You do realize that I can arrest you for stealing confidential documents and invasion of a person's privacy." Emma says angrily.

"Are you really going to pull that now? Or would you rather be at home with Kilian?" I smirk.

"Oh by the way, there's an apartment for rent across the street from my place, if you're interested?" I add before hopping into the car. I start it up, but Emma remains on the sidewalk.

"You wanna walk home?" I offer. "Or are you going to fly?"

Emma groans. She's going to have to get used to me. I guess since finding my dad and accepting my powers, I've changed in personality and my attitude is not as tolerable as it was before. I know I'm not going to go too far because everyone has a breaking point...I should know, I've crossed it a few times in the past couple of days.

I drop Emma off at her mom's place. She's walking rather slowly and I honk once to indicate that I'm leaving. She gives me a slow wave and I take off towards my place.

Once I park, I start towards the door. I'm fumbling with my keys when I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn quickly to see a pair of bright yellow eyes glaring out at me from a bush across the street in an empty lot. They are large and heavy, glowing which would indicate some kind of animal. I can sense its unusual energy and even from where I am, I can hear it's heavy breathing. I'm not really scared, but I am a little anxious. Its eyes never leave mine, it's as if it is trying to communicate. The eyes are not threatening and the energy is rather neutral, but I've felt it before, I just can't remember where...

The eyes continue to stare at me. I feel the need to communicate so I give a subtle nod and slight wave towards it. The eyes flinch, but remain fixated. I hear a slow and hushed growl come from the bushes and the rustling of the leaves as it moves. I'm very still now, not scared, but fascinated. The creature comes out of the bushes so I can get better look.

It's a tall, but very thin wolf like creature. It's covered head to toe in thick fur that, based on the glow from the near by streetlight, is almost reddish-brown. It's paws are quite big and the thin claws scratch at the dirt beneath it. It's eyes remain fixated on me. I don't really know how to respond to this... thing.

It suddenly lowers its head and lets out a high pitch whine that shatters the silence.

"Are you okay?" I ask abruptly. I can't turn down an animal in need, it reminds me of the dog my mom had, only much bigger.

I take step towards the street and the animal retreats from me. The whines get a little louder and it's slinking back into the shadows.

"No wait!" I say. "Do you need help?"

The wolf whines once more.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." I say softly. "Please let me help."

The creature suddenly turns its head upwards and lets out a shrill and frightening howl. It confirms to me that it is a wolf of some kind, maybe a shape shifter like Ruby. It's howl lasts a full minute before it locks eyes with me again.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but those eyes seem...almost familiar?

A car comes out of nowhere down the street and forces the animal to retreat into woods behind the back lot. I get one more quick glance from it before it vanishes into the dark.

I shudder slightly, unable to fully comprehend what I just saw. I squeeze my hands together and I remember the file I took from the hospital. Brendan's tiny face appears in my mind and I decide to find his birth parents for him.

I get my key out and head inside, up the stairs and into my apartment. I clean up the coffee I spilled and shut the curtains for the night. I turn on my lamp and change for bed. Once I'm settled, I look at the cream coloured file sitting in front of me. My eyes go up to my photo board and I pick Brendan out. His frightened little face with light brown eyes and brown hair. He seems so scared and for good reason. I remember the marks on his arms and how skinny the kid is, I know for sure that he was and is still being neglected and or abused. I want to find his real parents so maybe he can come back to a loving home.

"I'll find your real Mommy." I whisper to him.

I open the folder and a picture of baby Brendan is paper clipped to the front. He looks so cute and tiny, waving his fist at the camera.I start looking at his information

Name: Brendan Naveen James Anderson

Birth: 12:27 AM June 11th 2010

Weight: 7 pounds 14 ounces

Height: 4.6 inches

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Mother: Tiana Eudora Anderson

Father: Naveen Joel Horton

The names of his birth parents! Exactly what I need! I look up at Brendan's picture.

I found them! I think to myself, very excited.

I look and read that he was adopted three days after he was born, but something catches my eye at the bottom of the page. In bright red ink reads...

ADOPTION INCOMPLETE. BIRTH PARENTS FAILED TO SHOW AND FINAL DOCUMENTATION GIVING AWAY PARENTAL RIGHTS.

"Holy!" I gasp to myself. This kid was never fully adopted here. This might give me a good edge when and if I can get Brendan out of the neglectful family and into one that loves him. Maybe the birth parents changed their minds about giving him up and yet still the kid ends up in New York with a neglecting family. I want to get up and go looking for them now, but I remember that I'm carrying a baby and exhaustion is not healthy for either of us. I slide the file under my bed and turn the light off.

I settle in, slightly re-assured that part of the mystery is solved. That kid always felt out of place and maybe that's because he belongs here.

I roll over and listen to the sounds of the night. My heart jumps into my throat when I hear and eerie and on howl in the night.


	20. Chapter 20: Meet the Parents

Chapter 20: Meet the Parents

I wake up the next morning bright and early, knowing that I have a mission. I get up and change, ready to face the new day. I fish the file out from under my bed and pack a backpack. I grab a map of Storybrooke and at the last minute I grab the photo of Brendan off my wall.

I head to Granny's for something to drink...actually breakfast, I need the energy.

"Hey Ruby," I say to her when I slide into a seat at the counter.

"Hey, How's your morning so far?"

"Pretty good, I found out something exciting the other night. Can I get orange juice this morning and French Toast?"

"Sure, anything else?"

"Just some fruit if you have some. I'm really hungry since I'm eating for two now."

Ruby freezes and eyes me suspiciously. I can't help but smirk and snicker at her to confirm her suspicions.

"Are you serious?" she whispers, trying to mask her excitement. She looks around, trying not to draw attention to us.

"One month," I say.

"Oh, my gawd! That's amazing. I'm so happy for you!" She hugs me across the table. "Does your dad know?"

"Not yet, on my to do list today, though."

"Oh, my gawd!" Ruby squeals.

"And I might not be the only one," I say in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" Ruby says, serving me my juice.

"I know that my step-mother has one in the oven too."

"How can you tell?" Ruby asks.

"Part of my gift to detect energies. There's one growing inside of me and beautiful Belle too. Plus I have morning sickness and dizziness. I had Dr. Whale confirm my suspicions with Emma last night."

"I'm so happy for you! Who's the father?"

My face suddenly drops and I take a sip of my juice. Ruby realizes she's overstepped a little and wipes down the counter.

"I'm sorry." she says quietly.

"It's okay..." I mutter. "His name is Mason and we were in love until three weeks go when he dropped off the face of the earth. He broke up with me in a text!"

I start to feel the magic coming to the surface again. I take another long drink of juice and fight back the tears.

Ruby reaches across and pats me on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that... He doesn't know what he's missing and he's a real jerk for leaving you hanging."

"The thing is Ruby..." I pause and bite my lip. "I'm not that angry at him anymore. I have this feeling that he left to protect me from something. He said he came from the Enchanted Forest like me and he'd promise me answers... but then he left. I don't know if he knew something that put us both in jeopardy, but even so...I made it here and I've never felt safer. And now I'm carrying his kid..."

I feel the tears slowly dragging down my face and I wipe them off.

Ruby reaches over and gives me a hug across the counter.

"You'll be okay. We're all here for you," she whispers.

"I hope so... because in 8 months there'll be sleepless nights and diapers galore."

"But you'll have the most amazing thing of all... A family." Ruby smiles.

I give Ruby a small smile and take another long sip of orange juice.

"Order Up!" Granny calls, serving my french toast.

"Thank you," I say politely.

"Ruby!" Granny says. "Archie needs more coffee and make sure the back is stocked for the lunch rush."

Ruby rolls her eyes. "I'm on it." she groans.

I watch her work quickly, tending to the other customers and stocking up the supplies. I eat slowly so Ruby and I can talk.

I start kicking my backpack around under the counter.

"Hey, Ruby," I say as she wipes the counter down.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know anyone by the name of Tiana Anderson?"

"Uhhh... yeah why?"

I reach down and fish the picture of Brendan out of my backpack.

"Who's this?" she asks.

"This is Brendan, a kid that was new to the daycare I was working at," I explain. "He was a painfully shy kid and I've done some research. He was actually born here and adopted out to New York."

"So...?" she says.

"So... I'm trying to find his birth parents." I lower my voice. "The kid's being abused and neglected. I also... kind of did some snooping."

I lean in closer and slide the cream file across the counter. Ruby pulls it open.

"Is this...?"

"Shh!" I hiss. "Yes, I got his birth records, but look at the bottom of the page."

Ruby's eyes go wide as she reads the last line.

"Adoption never finalized." she reads out loud.

"Yeah, so basically this kid was 'technically' not adopted in the first place. So technically I'm reuniting a family."

"I don't think you can get out around a technicality by technically breaking the law."

"The kid's being abused Ruby, he needs a safe and secure home, besides every kid, deserves to know where they come from."

"I guess that is true, although in your case, you were better off not knowing." Ruby mutters.

"Family is family Ruby, can't change em, can't kill em even if you want to, so you gotta learn to live with em." I shrug.

"Weird philosophy," Ruby says.

"It's true, though. At least in my family" I say. "So do you know Tiana?"

"Barely, I've only met her a couple times at the laundromat across town. You can hardly ever see her anyways, she works two jobs, end to end, she hardly sleeps at all."

"Saving for college?" I ask.

"Her own restaurant. It's been her dream since her father died a few years back. She's also supporting her aging mother too. She's hoping the restaurant will give her the right financial security for life."

"And what about this Naveen guy?"

"Ummmm, No one hears from him too much either. The most we know is that his rich parents cut him off for trying to pursue a music career. Last I heard he was working at the vet. The details between him and Tiana are a big unknown "

"Thanks. Do you know where Tiana lives?"

"She and her mom live down, close to the swamp area by the toll bridge."

"Thanks," I say again. I dig through my bag and pay Ruby, leaving her a good tip too. "I'll see you later."

"Good luck," Ruby says, as I re-pack and head out the door. The cool crisp autumn air meets me, I welcome it with open arms. I know I'm not that pregnant, but I feel that fresh air is good for me and the baby.

I start hiking up the street. I stop at Sneezy's Dark Star Pharmacy to have the prescription Dr. Whale gave me filled. I push open the door to the shop.

"Hi Sneezy," I say walking up to the counter.

"Please call me..." he stops to sneeze. " Please call me Mr. Clark"

"Okay, I have a prescription from Dr. Whale for you to fill." I hand him the slip of paper.

"Prenatal vitamins?" he says, looking puzzled. I lock eyes with him and nod.

"I guess congratulations are in order." he says, going to fill the prescription.

"Thank you, I am very happy." I smile.

Sneezy Clark covers his mouth as he sneezes and heads to the back. I pick up a map of the town and decide that it will be useful in finding Tiana Anderson's house. When Mr. Clark comes back, he rings up the vitamins and map and I pay cash. I thank him and wave goodbye to him. As I leave he begins blowing his nose into a handkerchief.

I hop into my car and throw the vitamins in the back. I start up and follow a road that goes to Main Street and into a deep valley area. I assume there's a lake nearby, something that would cause the swamp that Ruby described. I turn on the radio and listen to the music while trying to study the road map. Stupid decision on my part, because when I look up I nearly veer into some big furry thing on the road. I slam on the breaks just in time to miss the thing by inches.

I try to shake off the shock and I try to figure out what's in the middle of the road. I know it's some kind of animal, but whether it's road kill remains to be seen. The fur is reddish-brown and the thickest I've ever seen it. It seems to be breathing, from the thick fur moving up and down and it's curled up in a ball so I can't see any other distinguishing features.

Weirdest place to sleep I think to myself.

I can't decide if I should try and go around the thing or honk at it to get it off the road. The thing is clearly huge and could probably maul or attack my car if it felt like it. I do have magic but there's only so much I've learned that could go up against a giant animal like this.

While I'm deciding, I soon realize that the radio is on too loud, I turn it down when one of my favourite songs comes on. It was a song that Mason and I loved to listen to together. We used to play it on a loop and dance around the kitchen just for the heck of it.

The thing suddenly moves. I see ears appear out of the bundle of fur and the thing stretches out, it's body completely blocking the road. My heart pounds fiercely, I seriously hope I didn't make this thing angry by waking it up. It slowly rises to its feet, revealing gigantic paws with thick claws on each toe. I swallow hard as the head becomes visible. I realize that it is a wolf, a massive one at that. I've never seen one so big before. I know Ruby was a werewolf, but it's not night, nor anywhere close to a full moon.

The animal's huge eyes turn towards me in curiosity or in anger. There is subtle recognition once our eyes meet.

It's the wolf from last night! The one that was whining from the bushes as if it was hurt. I remember him seeming anxious, very human like. I start wondering if we have an unregistered number of werewolves running around Storybrooke. Ruby's okay, she only changes once a month and with her red cloak, she's human again, but I never knew there were more pups in the litter.

I swallow hard and I can feel myself starting to sweat. I start to turn the radio down and praying that lightning will strike twice and he'll walk away.

The wolf is now completely facing me, I wonder if I could veer around him. I may be desperate, but I'd never consider killing or running over an innocent animal, no matter how big they are or whether they might eat me.

The creatures head cocks to one side in curiosity and he lets out another whine. He slowly backs down, lowering his head and slowly opening a space for my car to fit through. It's as if he's treating me like royalty.

I put my foot on the pedal and slowly put the car in gear. I start passing ever so slowly. The wolf's humongous eyes look up at me as I pull forward. As I do I get a good look at the creature "bowing" to me.

His large claws protrude out from the thick fur of his paws. Both of which are covered in mud and leaves, assuming from being in the woods. There are some patches on his legs where fur is missing and I also assume that he's scratched in some places. His fur coat is beautiful, an amazing shade of red that reflects the sunlight and seems to glow.

It's eyes lock on to me in the rear view mirror. I can't tell if I'm crazy or not, but I swear the wolf had blue eyes?! The song on the radio ends as it disappears from site.

I shake myself out of the moment and continue up into a heavily wooded area. The road starts to get more winding and wet. I end up going down a big hill and come into a thicket with lots of moss covered trees. Droplets begin to condense on the window of my car. I know I'm on the right track.

I turn a sharp corner and find a small clearing at the bottom of a steep hill. I turn left, going under a curtain of overhanging moss and in the distance, I see a small house. I pull in closer, coming onto a gravel driveway. I park along the side and start walking towards the tiny house.

The cottage is small, very quaint with white paint and dark green shutters. The small porch has large overhanging plants and weeping willows that stand on either side of the small house. An assortment of flowers and hedges decorate the front and side part of the landscape. I assume the mother loves to garden. I see a tiny pond with lily pads growing on the surface.

I knock on the heavy oak door. An aged woman with lightly wrinkled brown skin, gray hair, aging brown eyes and wearing a purple knitted sweater and skirt answers.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"I'm looking for Tiana Anderson?"

"My daughter is at work right now, but I'll let her know you stopped by. What's your name?"

"Crystal, Crystal Miller."

"Rumpelstiltskin's daughter?"

Man word travels fast around here.

"Yes... but I actually think that it's a good idea that I come in?"

"Why is that?" the woman says, shutting the door slightly, not willing to let a complete stranger inside.

I pull out the folder. The woman's eyes grow wide, with either surprise or terror. She immediately tries to shut the door on me, but I jam my foot in at the last minute to prevent her from shutting me out.

"Please...Mrs. Anderson..." I say gently.

"We paid our rent, Leave us alone. Please, it's bad enough we barely get by but with the bank demands for more we'll be foreclosed on, Please don't evict us... Please we don't want to live under the tyrant of Regina Mills..."

"Mrs. Anderson, I'm not from the bank or city hall."

The woman stops and lets some of the pressure off the door and my foot.

"You're not?"

"No, and besides, Regina's not the mayor anymore, Snow White is..."

"That sweet little school teacher?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Oh thank goodness." the woman says, breathing a huge sigh of relief. She opens the door a bit more. "You're not selling anything are you?"

"No ma'me" I answer, holding the folder a bit tighter. "I'm here about...something else."

"May I ask what that is?"

I swallow hard. I hand the folder over to her, with much hesitation.

The kindly woman takes what I give her and opens it. There's a pause as she reads it. I hold my breath. The folder hits the floor. The woman looks at me.

"What do you want?" she whispers.

"Mrs. Anderson...I found Brendan."

The colour drains from the woman's face. She lets a strangled breath out of her mouth. She begins looking behind me as if expecting someone to follow me.

"Come in...Come in quickly" she says.

I slip inside and the woman shuts the door behind me and latches it. I scoop up the contents of the folder and put them in their place.

The house is quite small, but quite ornately decorated. Wooden paneling covering the walls painted white. A wafting smell of lilacs, as well as furniture polish, hits my nose. I follow her through a small hallway, passed an ornate and white staircase leading up to the bedrooms. She leads me into a small kitchen. Green paint covers the kitchen walls, dark brown wooden cupboards overhang a small antique stove, which has a kettle whistling. The small wooden table has only two chairs on it and a small light hangs over. A vase of wilted flowers droops in the center. Despite how tiny the cottage is, it's quaint, quiet and beautiful. It definitely felt cozy.

"I was making some tea. Would you like some?" Mrs. Anderson asks.

"Yes please," I say softly.

I sit down at the table and put the folder next to me. Mrs. Anderson is shaking slightly as she pours the hot water and adds the tea bags. She brings small blue cups on saucers to the table.

"Would you like some sugar?" she asks.

"No thank you, just some cream if you have any?"

Mrs. Anderson shuffles across the floor and grabs a container of cream. She adds some to her cup and then some to mine. She hands me a spoon and she adds sugar to her own from a small bowl. She stirs her tea and takes a long sip. I know she's stalling, anxious even.

I take a small sip of the hot tea and then re-open the folder.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I say softly.

Mrs. Anderson swallows hard.

"Well... Tiana told me that she was...with child. She was very scared. She told me that her current beau was Naveen Horton and he was the father. She hadn't told him yet for the fear of...Naveen's parents..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...you see, Naveen's parents are quite wealthy and the... idea of their son impregnating a woman of... lower status would tarnish their reputation."

I swallow. "They were that conceded?"

"Yes, they were." Mrs. Anderson stares out of the kitchen window. "Tiana insisted that she would have this baby alone if she had to. She's always been that kind of girl, but Naveen seemed insistent on helping her."

"Then what happened?"

"Well as you know, hiding a pregnancy becomes hard before too long and one day... Naveen's parents saw how big Tiana was and immediately knew who the father was... They exploded over it and insisted that the child is to be given up for adoption. Tiana refused and was turning to Naveen for support...but."

She puts her hands over her mouth and sniffles a bit.

"The boy caved into his parents' wishes because if not, they would disown him...and... and the look on Tiana's face...so heartbroken... Even I believed that he would stand by her no matter what..."

She sobs into her hands.

"It's okay take your time..." I say gently. I reach across the table and pat her shoulder in comfort.

I let her cry for as long as she needs. Clearly the betrayal by a man she believed loved her daughter was devastating to her and the eventual loss of her only grandson... It would be hard.

When she collects herself.

"So as you can imagine what happened next. Tiana threw him out and got a lawyer on the phone to revoke Naveen's parental rights...of course, their fancy and high and mighty lawyers came back and..."

I nod and pat her.

"We had no money to pay our lawyer. Our finances became their secret weapon in court. They said my baby girl was working two jobs and wouldn't be able to care for him and with my aging, we were seen as incapable...W-We lost the custody of the baby and the Hortons could decide his fate. When Tiana gave birth, the child was immediately removed...my baby didn't even to get hold her baby."

I can feel tears in my eyes. A hand goes to my still flat abdomen, the life inside of me. I couldn't imagine holding the precious life that would be in my arms in 8 months. Seeing their little face for the first time, watch them open their tiny eyes to take a picture of the woman who would love them... forever.

I shudder and take a slow sip of my cooled tea and wipe the tears from my face.

When she collects herself, Mrs. Anderson continues.

"We didn't know what happened to the beautiful baby boy that I only saw once, but now..."

"Now I've brought you the answer."

I dig through my bag and push the picture of Brendan from the aquarium towards him.

"He was in my daycare group. He's a painfully shy kid, he was adopted by a seemingly good family..."

"What do you mean 'seemingly'?" she says.

"I think... the kid is being neglected and/or abused."

She puts her hands on her mouth and shakes her head.

She stares at the photo of Brendan for a while, tears running down her face. I can't imagine visiting your grandson, seeing his first steps, hearing his first words, playing with him and teaching him things that all grandmas should teach. I'm a little skeptical about Rumple being a grandfather

She suddenly squints at the picture.

"What's that he's holding?"

"His stuffed frog, he calls it Prince... He can't part with it and he brings it everywhere. He said that it was from his mommy. Is that true?"

"No...I don't think so. It does look familiar, though...some way some how..."

"Mama, I'm home!" I hear in the hallway. "Why was the door locked?

A woman with dark skin, light brown eyes, and dark hair pulled up into a messy bun. She's covered in cooking flour and dressed in a waitress' uniform. She has dark circles under her eyes and a knitted bag over her shoulder.

"Hello dear." Mrs. Anderson says, gets up and goes over to hug her daughter.

"Hi Mama." she says, returning the hug.

"Would you like some tea?" her mother asks.

"Yes please, just let me put my tips in the jar," Tiana says, her eyes continually gazing past her mother at me. I follow Tiana's movements as she opens her closet door, revealing a large glass jar inside that says "Tiana's Restaurant." She drops what she made and then shuts the door to keep me from prying any further. Mrs. Anderson stirs the tea for Tiana as her daughter washes her hands and face in the sink. Tiana takes her cup of tea and grabs an adjacent stool so she can sit at the table. Mrs. Anderson rejoins us. We sit silence for a moment.

Tiana breaks the silence.

"And you are?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Crystal, Crystal Miller." I hold my hand out and she shakes it.

"Rumpelstiltskin's daughter?"

Darn, this small town!

"Yes,"

"And the reason you are here is..."

"Tiana please don't be rude."

"Can't help it, mama, she made quite a scene the other day with her crazy powers."

I cut in before she can go any further. "I've been in control for awhile Tiana and I'm going to avoid magic for the next little while... you see I'm with child."

Mrs. Anderson smiles. "Congratulations my child."

"Thank you. I'm very happy."

"I was once..." Tiana mutters under her breath.

"Tiana please." Mrs. Anderson says.

"It's okay, Mrs. A, a baby is a wonderful thing and everyone deserves to be a parent at some point."

I know I'm pushing it with Tiana. I see her roll her eyes and put her head in her arms.

"I like working with kids and that's what I did before I came here. It's a real gift to watch a kid learn and play, grow up in front of you. Make a difference in their lives"

Tiana's had enough.

"Why are you here?" she snaps. She stands up abruptly spilling her tea and shaking the table.

"Tiana..."

"Mama, please! I've had enough about how lucky she is when others have experienced loss in their lives. You think you can waltz in here and brag about your fantastic life when there are some people who want to do whatever they can to make love work, create the world in which a child can live...! But those bigger and richer than her, somehow manage to get the better of them and they lose everything! Just because their bigger means they can run the world and dictate where we can and can't live or who we should fall in love with. It's those people with money that can take everything away from you and leave you as a hollow shell with no LOVE, no HOPE, NOTHING!"

"TIANA!" her mother barks.

I'm very calm, her words do not phase me at all. Honestly, I've heard worse and been through worse as well. I keep my face firm and strong. Clearly losing her baby to a rich family has taken its toll on her, even after four/five years. I can't help, but imagine what it would be like to never hold your child, have them ripped from your arms the second the infant starts breathing. My heart breaks for her.

I calmly go into my backpack and pull out the folder. I slowly slide it across the table at Tiana. Her eyes grow confused and anxious.

"This isn't an eviction, is it? Cause so help me..."

I don't even flinch. I keep my hand on top of the folder. Tiana can see that her rant hasn't phased me at all and she must be overreacting...just a smidgen...

When Tiana calms down enough to sit down. Mrs. Anderson grabs a cloth to mop up the spilled tea.

"Tiana..." I breathe quietly. "I'm not here to evict you or ask for taxes or money or anything like that. I'm not here to brag about anything..." I pause and flip the top part of the folder.

"I'm here to help you find your son."


	21. Chapter 21: Unraveling the Web

Chapter 21: Unraveling the Truth

Tiana sits down in shock. Her eyes go blank and she begins to hyperventilate. Tears begin falling from her eyes and then she puts her hands over her face.

Mrs. Anderson gets up and puts her arms around her daughter. She began humming to Tiana as if she was a child again.

"It's okay Baby Girl... it's okay..."

"It hurts Mama. It hurts,"

"I know it does...but it will get better."

Tiana continues to sob into her arms, her cries are ones of helplessness and anger. Her baby boy, something a mother would never love anybody more than the little life she carried in her womb, and he was taken away by a selfish couple who only cared about money and status, using their power to rip a child from his mother.

When she collects herself, she locks eyes with me.

"W-What's his name? I never got to name him."

"Brendan, Brendan Naveen James Anderson."

Tiana covers her mouth.

"I think the father got to name him."

"Is...is he... okay?"

I swallow hard and look at Tiana. I know she wants to know about her son... the boy ripped from her arms after he took his first breath, given away to strangers, stolen because of money and status issues and that the father didn't have a back bone to stand up for the woman she loved and who was carrying his child.

"I'm not sure..." I mumble. I'm trying, to be honest with her, but I'm worried that the suspicions of abuse to her only son will crush her, make her devastated or even hell bent on revenge. "I haven't been there in a month or so."

"What does he look like?" she asks.

I slide the picture from the aquarium in front of her. I point to the tiny child clinging to a green frog. "That's him."

Fresh tears fill her eyes. She clings to the picture, seeing the five-year-old boy. I know she wants to hold him, hug him, tell him that he's a good boy and that she loved him. I'm sure she wanted to tell him that she didn't abandon him, that she wanted to bring him home and raise him like she had planned all along, with or without the father by her side .

"He looks like Naveen." she says.

"He has your eyes, though," I add gently.

"What's he like?" Tiana asks.

I decide the truth is better than lies.

"He's a painfully shy child. He wouldn't talk to any other kids and he clung to that frog there. He would hardly speak to anyone and he seemed scared all the time. I did get him to open up a little bit and when I did, he was the sweetest little boy. He's smart and musically gifted too. He told me that he was taking piano lessons at his church and he knows that he had been adopted. I think he could go far, it's just his shyness is the problem"

"Why is he so shy?"

I swallow again, here comes the bomb shell.

"Tiana... I don't know for sure, but I think Brendan might be...abused."

Her breath catches her throat and fresh tears fill her eyes. She gets up and goes to the closet door. She takes a handful of cash from her jar and goes for her purse. She puts her coat on at the front door as Mrs. Anderson and I follow her.

"Honey, where are you going?" Mrs. Anderson says.

"I'm going to New York. I'm going to find my son."

"Tiana, that's not a good idea..." I say.

"Everything's not a good idea. I've had enough of doors being slammed in my face. Being denied what I want because I can't afford it. I'm tired of being told no and I'm sick and tired of always getting the short end of the stick. You can tell me that all my life, but I don't care! I don't care what the Horton's said or did, what I can't afford is to lose the one good thing that came out of that relationship with Naveen, my son!"

"Tiana I want to help you, but breaking the laws of adoption is not going to put you in good stead for getting him back."

"Baby Girl sometimes the biggest jumps require two steps back." her mothers says.

Tiana begins unlocking the door.

"Tiana wait!" I say, rushing over to shut the door.

"Don't try to stop me!" Tiana barks. She jerks at the door. She begins shoving against me.

"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm thinking about you and your son and driving into New York, with no sense of where your son is, or how you're going to get him back. I'm sure kidnapping him will not help your case."

"My son is being abused! And you expect me to just sit here and..."

"NO!" I yell back. "I want more than anything to give that little boy a better home, and from what I learned that he was taken by force from a mother who wanted to keep him, but we need to think this through carefully or you may never see your son again."

Tiana continues to glare at me.

I take a deep breath.

"Look Tiana...I know you're going to hate me for the next part, but...you're going to have to talk to...Naveen."

"HELL NO!" she screams. "That bastard turned against me and worked with his parents to take Brendan away. There is no way I'm going to..."

"Please here me out Tiana," I say wincing. "We're fighting against the courts here and if we can even get Brendan away from the neglecting family, he'll just be put in the foster system, and based on what Emma Swan told me...that's not gonna be good for him at all."

"Why the hell are we gonna need Naveen?!" Tiana barks.

"Because..." I explain, taking the file from the table. "You're both the parents and it says on the bottom of the record that neither of you showed up to fully approve the adoption. This is our leverage against the Horton's, I don't even know how they managed to put him up for adoption in the first place. I'm pretty sure it was illegal, technically kidnapping..."

"But we can't afford a lawyer." Mrs. Anderson says sadly.

"I'll worry about that," I reassure them. I go up to Tiana and take the money from her hand and go back to the closet. "You worry about how you're going to have to talk to Naveen and how you're going to accommodate a five-year-old in this house." I put the change back in the jar. "You're also going to need some kind of financial security to win back custody of him."

I suddenly get a brain storm.

"And I can get you started...!" I shout in excitement.

Both women look surprised by my sudden outburst.

"I have a space below my apartment that you can use for your restaurant! I can give you half the price of buying another building altogether and when you're not working on the restaurant, we can work upstairs on the case."

Tiana's eyes light up with excitement and hope.

"You'd really do that for me?" Tiana asks.

"Why not?!" I say in excitement. I'm practically bouncing off the walls about how this is all coming together.

Tiana lets out a cry of joy and hugs her mother tightly.

"It's happening Mama...it's happening! My dreams are coming true and I'm gonna get my baby back!"

I can see she's crying in joy and her mother can't help but smile.

I feel amazing inside, almost like crying myself. I'm changing three lives today, maybe even more. Giving hope to someone who needs it most, it's the most rewarding feeling. Of course I know the road will not be smooth and the process will be long, especially in court. But it's a start. It always starts with a little bit of hope.

Tiana and Mrs. Anderson, who insists that I call Eudora, encourage me to stay for dinner. They cook up their famous gumbo, her father's secret recipe. It's very rich and tasty that I have two bowls, also to feed my baby. Tiana talks non-stop about getting her restaurant started. It's clear she's done her research and business planning for a long time. I tell her we'll worry about the numbers later.

Eudora shares some of her stories of her time in the Enchanted Forest, all about living in the swamps and raising Tiana with her husband. I really get to know the two them well. I tell them stories about where I've been in my life and leave out the mother stuff, I just mention on a side note that I don't have a mother anymore. They are understanding and don't pry.

But what both of them want to hear the most is about Brendan. I tell them everything I can remember from spending time with him...the happy parts of who this kid is as a little individual. They listen with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Once I tell them that he is musically gifted they say they got that from his grandfather. He could play the strings of a guitar and keys off a trumpet. They neglect to mention that Naveen is also a musician, but that's a sore subject at the moment.

Tiana immediately begins planning for where Brendan would sleep and what kind of toys to get him. I keep the smile on my face, to keep the hope up. We don't know what the Hortons might do and it could be a rough ride ahead. Or what the courts will say. We'll just have to see.

It's pitch dark when I start packing up. Eudora insists I take some of the gumbo home, they make enough to feed an army and I happily accept. Before I leave, I give Tiana the photo from the aquarium. I watch as she grabs another jar from a kitchen cupboard, cuts out the photo and pastes it on the side. She gets a slip of paper and writes Brendan's full name on it and sticks that to the jar. She holds it, tears running down her face. She leans forward and kisses the photo.

"I will work my head off to bring you home Baby," she says quietly. "It's where you belong."

She places the jar next to her restaurant one and shuts the door.

I go up and give Tiana a hug, which she gratefully accepts.

"He will come home to you..." I whisper.

"I know and thank you." she answers.

Both women come onto the porch to see me off. I smile and wave as I start my car up. I see them standing together in my rear view mirror.

On the way home, I can't help but smile. What started out as a strange and awkward day became amazing and joyful in a matter of hours. I'm really making a difference in someone's life, making their dreams come true. I know this will never make up for all the crap I've done over the years, including killing my mom, but... it's a start.

I get back into Storybrooke as the moon rises over the trees. I pull up to the tuck shop and get out.

Time to make someone else's day! I think to myself.

I open the door and I see Belle behind the counter reading, of course. She smiles when she sees me, a hesitant smile, but regardless.

"Hello, Crystal." She says in her accented voice. "Rumple's in the back, but I don't think him..."

"Actually I came to see you." I interrupt.

"Me what about?"

I smile warmly at her and I lean into a whisper.

"Listen, I have this ability to sense energies in other people, which is how I could tell Emma was the Savior and Dark One, etc... and when I met you I saw/sensed a new energy and heartbeat...inside you."

Belle's eyes go wide for a moment.

"How...How?" she stammers.

"It's something that my powers allow me to see," I explain. "So is it true?"

Belle smiles and nods.

"That's so great!" I say, beaming from ear to ear. I go to the counter and pull her into a hug. I really am excited about this. I've never had a sibling before or at least one that lived long enough for me to meet them. I don't really care if it's a boy or a girl, I'm just happy to have some form of a family.

"Do you have an ultrasound picture?" I ask.

"I do," Belle says. "It's upstairs, I'll go get it."

Belle slips behind the curtain and I hear her go up the stairs.

Eventually, Daddy dearest comes out on his cane.

"Evening..." I say formally.

Rumple just grunts and nods in my direction.

"What is my wife doing upstairs?" he asks.

"She's getting something for me," I answer.

"Can't imagine what," he mutters

We stand in silence for a long while. I notice that a golden chain is sticking out of his pocket. I immediately recognize it as the locket.

"It keeps her close huh?" I ask.

Rumple looks at me. I nod to indicate the pocket.

"It's her ashes encased in there, really keeps her close to me. That and the moving picture inside"

"It can also protect you...you see I put a protection charm on it after I gave it to her," Rumple explains. "I was worried her husband might try to attack her if he found out she was pregnant, I did it out of love."

"Is that what keeps the charm alive?" I ask.

Rumple swallows and nods.

"She never took it off you know..." I say into the silence. "She loved you."

"And I loved her too." he says softly.

"I know you did." I nod.

We fall silent again. This is a step in the right direction, we actually had a civil conversation without being at each other's throats or ending up with fireballs flying all over the room. It's not much, but it is a start.

I hear Belle's footsteps come back down the stairs. She hardly notices Rumpel and she hands me the ultrasound photo.

I can barely make out the tiny shape that is my step-sibling. It's slightly bigger than mine, and I can start to see the head and the body overall. I smile and tear up a bit.

"Congratulations," I say.

"How did you know she was with child?" My dad asks inquisitively.

"Rumpel, don't be rude," Belle says.

"I could kind of tell with the growing bump, but also... It's hard to describe, but part of my powers allow me to see people's heartbeats and their...I guess auras/energy which tells me who you are and when I met Belle, I saw an additional heartbeat and energy."

My dad's eyebrows in suspicion but I also think in interest.

"I've never been able to do that," he says.

"I think it's something I developed on my own," I say. "I think it's pretty clear that you and I don't have the same powers."

"And hopefully this one doesn't have his either," Belle says, putting her hand on her rounding stomach. I ask to place my hand there and she lets me. I tear up again, so happy that despite how evil my Dad is, he can create something good.

I swallow and decide to tell them my news. "There...was another reason that I came here..." I say gently...

"You're also going to be a grandfather..."

Belle immediately squeals and goes up to hug me. I feel myself crying, but also jumping up and down. I give in to the joy of being with child and Belle and I will be there for each other every step of the way.

"That's so amazing!" Belle says.

"Thank you and congratulations to you too."

We break from the girl hug and I go over to my dad. He looks at me hesitantly so I make the first move, I lean forward and hug him.

He doesn't hug back at first, which is fine, but slowly his arms come around me in an embrace.

"Congratulations my child."

"Thanks...Dad."


	22. Chapter 22: Imperfect Prince

The next morning I hear noises and shuffling downstairs at six in the morning. I throw open the trap door. I see Tiana moving boxes into the small space from outside. I happy that I'm helping her, but the lack of sleep is not good for me or the baby.

"Don't you think this could've waited until after 9?" I mumble to her.

Tiana looks up at me, bright and perky as ever.

"Sorry, I have to go to work later so I figured I'd come over and get a head start."

"Head is right," I mutter. Under my breath, I add. "I had to give you a key."

I sit on the stairs and watch as she moves more boxes into the room from an old yellow pickup truck parked outside. I can't imagine her having all this stuff ready to go. it must have taken her years to gather everything. It has been her dream for a long time so I'd imagine that she planned well in advance.

I go back upstairs, shower and change, finally managing to get running hot water in my place. I go down stairs and start peeking into the some of Tiana's boxes. There is everything required for running a kitchen, from blenders to mixing bowls, from oven mitts to cookie jars.

"Hey don't touch," Tiana says coming up behind me.

"Sorry, I just thought I should get a visual of what you're moving into my home."

"Below your home." Tiana corrects.

"So what do you think?" I say. "You want to use a little magic to get everything set up?"

"Not really," Tiana says. "That's the easy way out, Mama always taught me it's more rewarding when you work for your rewards."

She has a point.

"Okay, if you want I can organize everything by hand and then when you get off work, we can start setting up?"

"That sounds fair." Tiana nods. She then pulls me into a big hug.

"Thank you so much," she squeals. She checks her watch. "Okay, I've really got to go. Thank you so much!"

"Bye..." I say and watch her rush out the door.

...

I spend most of the morning sorting through everything, putting kitchen, dining room supplies in separate piles. I alone with my thoughts and I go back to Brendan. The poor kid. Poor Tiana. Poor everyone...

I decide that I should go see Naveen, alone, no doubt that Tiana would strangle him if she saw him. I can understand why she's mad at him, being a spineless wimp against keeping their child, but Tiana's rage should be more towards the parents. They're the ones who took Brendan from her and put him up for adoption. If the signatures on his adoption certificate are forged, and the fact that neither blood parent showed up to finalize the adoption, she should be a lot more enraged at them.

I know Naveen shares the blame, but he is the father, not his parents, plus he's a grown man and child's happiness is more important than money.

I lock the place up and start heading into town.

I walk by Gold's shop and Granny's to grab some breakfast. Ruby greets me with a warm smile and pours me a cup of juice.

"So how'd it go with Tiana?" she asks.

"I'm helping her achieve her dream," I answer. "The empty space beneath my house is now her restaurant."

"Really?!" Ruby says with excitement. "That's so amazing!"

"It is." I smile, feeling great joy in helping Tiana. "It really is."

"And what about Brendan?" Ruby asks.

"She wants custody of him...she wants her son back," I say.

"And how do you plan on doing that."

I scratch the back of my neck.

"By first getting her business up and running... then getting in touch with the courts..." I say, not really having put the pieces together yet. "It's still a work in progress."

"And what about the father?" Ruby asks, serving me an omelette.

"Working on that." I say. "I plan to go see him alone and try to convince him to take some kind of action..."

"What if he says no?"

"I'll cross that bridge when we come to it..." I say, fretting over it. I dig into my omelette, hoping my morning sickness holds out. "My main concern is preventing Tiana from strangling him."

"That would be quite concerning. I wouldn't want to be near any boy who knocked me up and out right abandoned..."

Ruby stops and turns red. "Sorry..." she says. "I forgot."

"It's okay," I say, continuing to eat. "Sometimes I forget that Tiana and I are in the same boat in terms of parenting."

"Speaking of parenting...what were the results on proving Belle was preggers too?"

"It is confirmed." I say. "I gave her a pregnancy test and she is with child. I'm surprised you didn't hear her screaming, she could be heard over half a block or more when she found out."

"How's Rumple taking it?"

"He's overwhelmed," I say. "He's going to be a father and grandfather at around the same time."

"I seriously doubt the Dark One ever thought he would have a child, let alone two with two different women."

"Both whom he loved," I added, finishing the omelette. "So back to Naveen, do you know where he is?"

Ruby takes my plate. "How the heck should I know?"

I give Ruby a stare. "Come on, you never thought to seek out a cute single guy with rich parents. Ask him for a date maybe?"

"No!" Ruby snaps, quickly. Her facade does not fool me.

"Ruby..." I say, hardly believing her words. "You know everyone in this town, every face male or female, you're good at finding people, part of your canine nature."

"Okay fine..." Ruby says. "I tried to ask him out once, he lives two blocks west of here, the small apartment building on Oak avenue."

"Thank you very much." I say and I pay her.

"Good luck" she calls after me.

"Thanks, see you later."

I exit and get into my car, parked across the road. I calculate the distance and drive down to Oak street. I see the small apartment building, red brick with vines growing all over it. It looks to be only four floors with tine balconies on each.

I pull up to the building that Ruby said to look for. I find his directory on the control panel, but the door is unlocked anyways, I guess in such a small town that

I knock on the apartment door. I hear guitar music coming from one side.

"Who is it?" A sad, but slightly foreign voice asks.

"A stranger," I say.

"And what kind of stranger would you be?" he asks, playing along.

"One that would like to discuss something important."

"If it is about my rent, I do not want to hear it." is the answer

"It's about Tiana."

Silence.

I hear footsteps coming to the door.

A man with some stubble, dark hair, chocolate brown skin and deep brown eyes answers. I can see why Tiana fell for him, he's not bad looking at all, but I immediately see Brendan in him, except for the height of course. He's in jeans and a t-shirt that are wrinkled beyond belief and the dark circles indicate little to no sleep in the past twenty-four hours.

"Crystal Gold?" he asks.

 _Damn this small town!_ I groan in my head.

"Miller," I say through gritted teeth. "My name is Crystal Miller."

"I'm sorry Miller, do you happen to have Tiana with you?"

"I came alone," I answer.

"Then why are you here?"

"I found your son," I say.

The colour drains from his face and his eyes glaze over in confusion.

"What did you say?" he says.

I push past him, without a second thought and he locks the door behind him. His apartment is a disaster area. It's small, cramped and stinks. There are dishes piled high in the kitchenette, stained with many substances. Laundry is scattered all over in heaps on the floor and keeping his bathroom door propped open. His TV is tiny and has a lone chair in the middle of the room. Also in his place are musical instruments, most in the corner by his window. A electric piano, two guitars, a ukulele, what was a drum kit and several other instruments in the pile. There's a tank with what looks like a frog or toad in the corner by the TV. I hardly want to touch anything in there. He's definitely not the pretty, rich boy that Tiana had described.

"Are you a lawyer?" he asks.

"No." I say. I hold up the folder with Brendan's information. "But we might need one?"

"Why? Did my parents send you?"

"Absolutely not." I groan. "I want nothing to do with your parents. All I want to do is see them in court."

"They're like that," Naveen says, scratching the back of his head.

"There are grounds on kidnapping," I mutter.

"I know." he says meekly.

"You know?!" I snap. "And you did nothing?! What is wrong with you this is your son we're talking about?!" My hands are warming up in anger.

"I'm a spineless rat okay!" he grimaces.

"I don't doubt it," I mutter, taking it down a notch. "No wonder Tiana hates you."

"D-did she say anything about me?"

"Nothing for human ears. She's as mad as can be at you."

"Even, after all, this time?"

"Can you blame her?" I say.

Naveen sits down on the chair.

"No, I guess not."

"What happened?" I ask. "I only got Eudora's version."

"So yeah...I got her pregnant and...I was scared as anyone would be."

"But you promised to stand by her..." I say.

"And I did, till Mom and Dad saw Tiana pregnant as can be while she was working."

"And..."

"They blew twelve blood vessels. They told me to convince her to give it up for adoption, but..."

"They threatened you with cutting you off?"

"Exactly and I know I had to have the money for child support and stuff."

"Ever heard of a job?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"I got zilch in the job department. The best thing I could become was a musician, but my parents wouldn't go for it."

"And when they confronted Tiana..."

"It all went to hell from there."

"Why didn't you stand behind her?" I ask angrily. "You'd assume that you loved each other."

"I did...I still do..." Naveen sighs.

"Really?" I say a little more gently.

"I think about her and the baby every day. I cry myself to sleep most nights because of them."

My sympathy is slowly growing for him. He's really a guy down on his luck. I stand next to him and hand him the folder. Naveen opens and looks at the tiny photo of his son. It's amazing to see how much he's grown.

"He looks like you," I say quietly.

"But he has Tiana's eyes. Yeah, my parents said that too."

"Before they put him up for adoption." I finish.

"Pretty much, they did let me name him, though," he pauses. Naveen was my grandfather's and my dad's name too. James was Tiana's father's name..."

"And Brendan?"

"It just suited him," Naveen says. "He was everything I wanted in a son."

"He can still be."

"What do you mean?" Naveen asks.

"I've seen him. He's five now."

"You have?!" he says, becoming excited. "What's he like?"

"Shy..." I answer. "Shy and scared."

"What do you mean?!" he says frantically.

"He's being abused and neglected Naveen."

"WHAT?!" he stands up and runs his fingers through his thick hair. "Oh man!"

"It's bad." I add. "Really bad. His mother doesn't give two hoots about him and the one who looks after him is his nanny who is the one who hits him for being bad."

"Oh My God!" Naveen cries, tears in his eyes.

"Gave him his best chance huh?" I mumble sarcastically.

"Why didn't you say something?! Why didn't you do something?!" he hollers, standing up to yell at me.

"I wanted to!" I snap back. "I really wanted to, but sure if I can get him out of one home he'll be thrown into another or into the foster system. His mom's also a rich ass lawyer. It's not good for a kid to be moved around so much anyways. A five year old needs stability and love. Besides I'm not the one who gave him up?"

"It doesn't matter who gave him up, you could've done something?!" he yells. "What the hell happened?!"

I conjure up a purple ball of light.

" _ **This**_ happened" I indicate. "My powers went into overload because something else and the kids saw it, causing all hell to break loose and for me to run. I didn't know how stronger these abilities were and I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"You're a coward!"

"I'm the coward?" I hiss. "I'm not the one who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend and eventual son over money and controlling parents!"

"What do I have to offer him now huh?!" Naveen sobs. "I'm broke and living in a cardboard box of an apartment! What a great father I would've been."

"Money doesn't define what makes a good father." I say justly. "It's only a factor of a much bigger equation. What's most important is to be able to give a child love and attention, something that impacts their entire life and not just the beginning."

Naveen says nothing.

"And right now. You're shaping up to be a really bad father. So instead of whining and complaining about it or blaming others for your mistakes, stand up! Call a judge and bring the damn thing to court!"

It's quiet in the apartment now. Naveen is thinking hard. I understand his reluctance to go against his parents in court and having to face Tiana's wrath again. This won't be a good thing.

"He likes music you know," I say gently.

"He what?"

"He's a little musician, he plays the piano and wants to start guitar lessons."

Naveen runs his hands through his hair.

"He also has a frog he named Prince."

"That was mine." Naveen said, tears in his eyes. "That frog was mine. My parents allowed me to give one thing to him... I've had it since I was little. I wanted for him to have something special, even though he would never know who we are..."

"That might change," I say. I search through my purse and find another picture of Brendan. I hand it to him and I point.

"That is your son," I whisper.

Naveen begins to cry into his hands.

"What did I do?" he asks.

"You made a bad decision." I say gently. "But everyone makes them, I know I have. The important thing to do now is to do damage control. Give that boy a family and home that he deserves. His adopted mother doesn't care for him like I know you and Tiana would. He's too small to be growing up in a big city and in such unstable conditions. His mom wants to send him to boarding school next year..."

I pat him on the back.

"The time to do something is now, before he's gone. He deserves a father and mother who love him and want the best for him. it;s better to do it now and not fifteen years later when he's grown up and feeling more alone than ever."

I sit back, seeming to have made my point.

Naveen hold the picture tightly and cries for awhile. I let him do it, he has all that guilt built up over five years. He's been alone and suffering in silence. I start to wonder if he will do the right thing, my hope is he's learned a lesson and he will. He will do what is right for his son.

"Okay..." Naveen says in a barely audible whisper. "Okay, I'll do it."

"That's what I wanted to hear." I say, trying not to sound too relieved. I knew he would make the right choice.

"What now?" he asks.

"Now..." I bite my lip. "Now is the time to make peace with your ex."

"I doubt there'll be any peace when I show up. You may have to take her into court for murder charges."

"I have magic powers, I can protect you from that. All we need is to get her to listen. You need to prove to her that you've changed and it's not about you or her, but about Brendan. It'll be on your own time when you iron out your relationship problems, but now...make it about that little boy out there, waiting for someone to love him." I point to the picture again.

"Make it count..."


	23. Chapter 23: Confessions

I drive home and I go up to my apartment. I know fighting for Brendan will not be easy. We've got parents who won't talk to each other, grandparents who set everything up in the first place and a helpless child who doesn't know what a hug feels like. Life is such a mess.

I power up my computer and start doing more research about how to report child abuse. Such things can be done anonymously We need a lawyer and actual proof that the poor kid is being neglected. I don't even know if I'm going to allowed to go near the kids. I haven't exactly checked the news after I disappeared and I'm surprised I'm not on the ten most wanted list. I seriously don't know what kind of excuse will be made for supernatural powers going into overdrive. I know what I did was dangerous and it's why I ran, to protect the kids.

I shudder thinking back to Brendan and Amanda's face when they saw me. It broke my heart to see them so afraid, but I knew I wasn't safe to be around. I'm better now, but I'm not sure if I'd want to, would they still like me at all after I upped and left?

I get back on my computer to distract my self and go back to searching for a lawyer. I don't think there are any lawyers in Storybrooke and even if there was, I don't know if they would have had good opportunities to get into court and they're all too nice for their own good. The only one I could think of that would be slimy enough to be one would be my dad.

Suddenly it hits me. Alisa, the best friend I left behind. Her boyfriend was working at a law office he'd know a good lawyer.

I cringe, thinking about contacting Lisa again. I haven't exactly connected with her since I left, sending her one text when she sent me like twenty. I probably worried her sick for a few days and she probably hates me by now. She's probably dealing with the back lash of what happened...at least she still has Raymond.

I have to get it through my head that I can't completely abandon my past life for the new one. Especially for Brendan and Tiana's sake, I need to go back and fix a few things...maybe a lot of things and phone call to my best friend is a start. She can't shoot me or attack me from such a long distance.

I pick up the phone, knowing the number I want to dial. My hand is sweating slightly and shaking a bit, knowing what might happen, but I need her help...I need it.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answers

"Hey Lis."

"Crystal is that you?"

"Yes it's me...hi"

"Hi?! You've been gone for over a month and all you can say is Hi?!"

"Look I'm really sorry I left, but I..." I stop, realizing that Alisa has no idea who...or rather what I am.

"You what? You disappear and don't call for days and give me one single text and you don't have the decency to tell me where you are..."

"It's complicated Lis... you see I..."

"You...You.. WHAT?! You freaked out huh? it's all about you! Did you ever think of those you left behind. I'm still getting calls from your landlord about how all your stuff was stolen and she still need last months rent or she'll call the damn police. I had a search party out after you, I even visited the daycare. Bridges said you had some sort of mental breakdown."

"I...kind of did."

"Right when the government was testing some kind of illegal sonic boom device that shattered the windows."

"Is that what they're saying happened?" I say with doubt. I know the government is known for covering up things, supernatural or not, but even this seems pretty far fetched.

"Yes and Bridges is mad beyond belief."

"As she would be." I say.

"What the hell happened? Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in Maine." I answer.

"Maine?! Why the hell are you in Maine?"

"I needed some place quiet to recover

"What...What...Chris, What? You want to apologize for causing me sleepless nights? Having the police spend hours looking for you? New reporters bothering me, thinking you had something to do with the sonic blast or that you were killed in it! Having Raymond wanting to take a break with me because of it! Having me be harassed by your landlord and boss. You've destroyed everyone's lives and you...you... WHAT EXCUSE CAN YOU POSSIBLE MAKE TO...!" she screams into the receiver, to angry to go on.

"Lis..." I swallow. "Lis I found my dad."

Silence.

"Mason also left me."

Silence.

"And I'm pregnant."

I hear a crash at the other end, most likely meaning that Alisa dropped the phone in shock.

I wait patiently until she recovers enough to pick up the phone again. It's a long while before I hear any movement at all. While I wait, I contemplate telling Alisa about who I really am, what really happened to my mom, who my father is and where I am.

When she does pick up the phone again, her breath is laboured and heavy.

"W-What did you say?"

I brace myself...knowing I'm going to have to tell my best friend the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I spend the next 45 minutes or so telling her everything, from beginning to end. I don't know how she's going to react, I can just picture her dumbfounded face on the other end of the line, crying probably too.

"You've had a mental breakdown." Lisa says.

"No, Lis what I'm telling you is the truth..."

"You've got to be crazy I mean..."

"Lisa, you're my best friend. You know me."

"Apparently I don't know you as well as I thought."

"Lis I know it sounds completely insane, but can you at least understand why I kept it a secret. I didn't even know half of all this a month ago."

"So you really have powers?"

"Unfortunately yes and I'm in a town where all the fairy tale characters we know live."

"And your dad is Rumpelstiltskin? And he's married to Belle from Beauty and the Beast, the french fairy tale?"

I wince. "Yes."

There's nothing, but silence on the other end, completely understandable, but I expected her to start laughing or screaming some more. I guess it is a crazy amount to take in. I hear Tiana's truck pull up in front of the building.

I swallow hard. "Look Lis...I know this is a lot to take in and you probably hate me beyond belief, but... take some time. I'll call you back later or you call me, whatever... I gotta go. I love you best friend in the whole wide world." I wince again, knowing I'm grasping at straws. I know this is the end of our friendship. She's probably convinced that I've lost it and wants me committed to an insane asylum or something. Her entire life came apart because of me

"Wait..." she says from the other end.

"What?" I say, suddenly filled with hope.

"Where did you say you were?"

"Storybrooke, Maine why?"

"Just... I gotta go bye." she says abruptly and she hangs up.

I place the phone down as Tiana comes in, covered in flower and her bun is a matted mess, her knitted bag slung over her shoulder. She's talking non-stop even though she must be exhausted from a long day at work, meanwhile I've had friend drama and seen her ex-boyfriend. Such an honest girl.

"Oh Crystal I'm so glad you sorted everything, it makes it ten times easier and sorry I'm late, Gerard had a kitchen mishap and I had to deal with it, so anyways, I'm thinking of round tables and metal wired chairs, almost fancy French cafe like style. So anyways I..."

Tiana was so lively chatting non-stop, I am helping her fulfill a dream she's had for a long time. But I've already lost one friend today and she blames me for having her boyfriend 'take a break' from their relationship, I don't need another one mad at me for visiting her ex.

"Hey Tiana..." I say.

"Uh?" she says.

"I kind of have to tell you something and you're not going to like it."

"Oh please, nothing could be that bad."

"I kind of...went to Naveen's today."

I brace myself for the explosion that will definitely come from Tiana.

"And..." she says calmly.

"And?!" I say in surprise. "You're not going to explode, slam the door, shout 'I hate you'?" I say

Tiana shrugs. "What did you expect?"

"Well I haven't exactly had a good day, I had other friend drama."

"Which friend?" Tiana asks.

"My best friend from New York, Alisa."

"You never mentioned you had friends in New York."

"Not many, but she's my best friend... was and she's pretty mad."

"How come?" Tiana asks.

I forgot I haven't told that many people of why I left New York...except the Swans and Hook.

"I...uh...I kind of lost control of my powers after my boyfriend broke up with me...and shattered glass...in front of your son."

Tiana's jaw drops.

"He wasn't hurt!" I add quickly. "Just really scared..."

"I've seen those powers, I'd be afraid too."

"Anyways, Lisa's been picking up the pieces and they fortunately think my power thing was some military test that went wrong."

"That's...okay I guess."

"She's mad at me for dropping off the Earth, she's dealt with my boss, my land lord, search parties and her boyfriend decided to take a break so she could recover."

"That's intense." Tiana says. "And she got mad..."

"Blew sky high." I nod and sit back on a box. "I ended up telling her everything..."

"That's okay I mean..."

"I mean **everything**." I say harder.

"Oh..." Tiana bites her lip. "And what did she say?"

"Not much, she needed time to reflect and then you came so we hung up."

Tiana's quiet for a few moments. "Do you think she can keep a secret?"

"I don't know, I just felt gawd awful for lying to her and leaving her to deal with all my drama that I cracked and told her..." I sigh and rub a few tears from my eyes. "I wanted her to see me for who I really was and where I belonged. I wanted her to know that despite everything we were still friends"

I sniffle and rub tears from my eyes. Tiana comes over and gives me a long hug. I cry for a few minutes in her arms, feeling relief for crying it out. The future for Lisa and I is quite uncertain and I'm not sure where to go from here. She's been my true friend through every break up and was there the help me kick my drug and drink habits. We've supported each other and she stayed with me, while my street friends left... probably to get arrested or something. I don't wan to lose her...it would be like losing my mom all over again.

When I'm done crying I sit up and look at Tiana. Her light brown eyes showing understanding and the smile on her face is doing the best to comfort me.

"Sorry..." I say. "I kind of killed the mood with this."

"It's okay." Tiana says. "What's a day without a little drama?"

I smile at her good humour. I stand up and look at her.

"Getting back to the ex..." I say.

"How's...he doing?" Tiana says, making it seem unnecessary to be asking about someone she hates.

"He's worse off than you think he is..." I say.

"He is?!" Tiana says, trying to hide the smile of satisfaction on her face.

"His parents kicked him out when he refused to get a job and tried to become a musician. He now lives across town in a tiny, roach infested apartment with a pet frog and broken dreams."

"Really?" Tiana mumbles, trying to act disinterested. I can tell she's trying to hide the fact that she's happy over his misery, but I see something else there too. Genuine concern...you never really get over a man who becomes the father of your child...I should know.

"And he... Tiana he misses you. He's guilt ridden over everything that happened."

"Serves him right!" Tiana says, standing up and walking to the window. "After throwing me and our son under the bus like that..."

I just nod. "Besides that... he's agreed to help you get Brendan back."

Tiana hesitates. "Are you serious?"

"It's what he said. I told him it was time to man up and actually be there for his son..."

"He's aware that if I do get my son back, I won't let him near..."

"Tiana that's unfair." I snap. I can understand her anger and rage, but it's been five years, some of the anger should have faded.

"It's perfectly fair..."

"Listen to me Tiana...it's been five years and you have to realize that Brendan is Naveen's son too."

"But he abandoned him and..."

"Regardless of what he did." I say insistently. "It's been five years and the only way we're ever going to have chance at getting Brendan back, you will have to patch things up with Naveen."

"Hell No" Tiana yells. She gets up in anger and begins to pace the floor.

"At least hear the guy out Tiana...his no longer under the control of his parents, he's sad and alone and lives with the guilt of letting you go. I know what he did was very wrong, but you can't spend all of your life angry at him."

"Who says I can't..."

"I say and I know. You can't stay mad at the world forever. I should know. I was mad at myself for the longest time, for what I was and what I did to others...and what I did to my mom..." I pause and do my best to collect myself. "I was also mad at my dad, which was understandable. But one day I realized that the anger and hatred were not getting me anywhere. I was trapped in that endless loop of rage, disgust and evil... Anger can be an evil if held on for too long and a poison that lingers in your veins forever. I realized I was no better than the person I was hating... But when I stopped being angry at myself and him, worked towards forgiveness..."

"I'll never forgive him!" Tiana snaps.

"Never is a long time..." I start.

"I can wait!" she growls.

"You don't have to forgive him and you don't even have to like him, but can you at least respect him because if we take this to court and the lawyer senses that weakness, that will be the end of it! We need both of you not one..." I say. "If you can't do it for me, do it for your son who's out there and doesn't know what a real family is like. I gave the kid a hug once and it was like he'd never had one before."

Tiana's quiet for a few moments. I can tell she's fuming, but also thinking about everything. I can see a few tears go down her face in frustration. I keep my distance instead of giving her comfort...for now. She had a lot of issues to go through with him, but for the sake of her son and her own self.

"Do you think I can do it?" Tiana asks quietly.

I nod.

"It won't be easy." she adds.

"I never said it was going to be. Forgiveness can sometimes be impossible. It's still taking me a long time to forgive myself and my dad... two things that seemed to rule and ruin my life for the longest time. But you know what? When I forgave him, it felt as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could finally heal. The scars will always be there and you can't change the past, but you can move forward..."

Tiana sighs and rubs the tears from her eyes. I get up and pull her into a hug. She holds onto me and pats my back in appreciation.

"Just give me some time..." she whispers. "And I want you to be there when we go to see him."

"Absolutely." I say softly. "Take the time you need...while you're doing that we can get this restaurant on its feet."

We spend the rest of the evening sorting everything else and Tiana draws up the plans for her restaurant. She almost wants a diner style place, but with some more class, less like Granny's and more her own style. I nod and add my input when I can. I'm happy to be helping her, changing her life for the better.

We heat up leftovers and work into the late hours planning and drawing up financial documents, insurance and all the other stuff needed for getting this place up. Tiana heads home for the night as it starts to rain. I wave to her from the window and go inside.

I settle into bed and listen to the pattering of the rain on the roof. It's slightly soothing as i turn out the light.

I think I fall asleep but I hear a loud noise waking me up. I check my clock and it's three in the morning. I hear a loud banging coming from below. I groan and get up.

 _Who the hell could that be at this hour? It better not be Tiana._

I go down the stairs and into the lower area. I open the door into the pouring rain.

Standing at the door in the rain is Alisa.


	24. Chapter 24: Reconcile

I stand speechless.

"M-My gawd? Lisa?!" I stammer.

She just stands there, just as quiet. Her hair wet and hanging over her face like spider webs, partially obscuring her facial features. Her face is a mixture of emotions, anger, desperation, sadness. She's wearing a dark rain coat and has a hand bag and suitcase with her.

I instinctively step aside so she can come inside out of the rain. She obeys and stands stone still in the middle of what will be a restaurant. I shut the door to keep the wind and rain out and I turn on the light. I assume that she takes in her surroundings.

"Nice place." Alisa says in a monotone voice.

I lean against the back wall and swallow hard. It feels like my stomach is doing somersaults, or it might just be the morning sickness, I can't tell. I'm really scared that she came all the way here to scream and yell at me.

"Lis...if you want to punch me, do it. I deserve it."

"I don't punch..." Lisa says. "Especially pregnant girls."

I can feel the tears come to my eyes.

"Lis...I'm so, so sorry." I weep. "I know what I did was insane and wrong and I left you to suffer and take the load and drama but..."

"But what?" Alisa says in an eerily calm voice.

"But... nothing there's no excuse for what I did and putting you through that, but this is where I belong."

"Here?" she says. "Here in a tiny ass and strange town, miles from civilization that is so hard to find, it cost me 60 bucks to find a taxi driver who just knew the way here."

"It's more than that!" I say defensively. "I've found my roots, my father, amazing friends."

"Aren't I your friend?" she snaps.

"My best friend."

"So why didn't you tell me this...this mutation you have?"

"Because it was unstable Lis...I did tell you that I heard voices in my head and I had demons...?"

"Yeah..."

"Well they were more real than ever. That voice, really there, the powers...hard to control. You don't know how many times I almost lost control in front of you."

"So that...explosion at the aquarium..."

"That was how dangerous it could be yes." I say earnestly. "When I'm in extreme emotional distress or in pain, they're hard to control."

"You say was? What's changed now?"

"Being here..." I answer. "Being with people who are like me, who accept me, reconciling with my father..."

"You didn't think I'd have accepted you?"

"When I'm honest with myself Lis...I don't think you would. I mean when I told you, you thought I was having a mental break down, but everything I told you over the phone is the truth...from the storybook characters to the powers."

"So...you're..." she swallows hard. I know she can't believe she's saying this. "You're the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin?"

I nod. I open my hand and create an orb of light that floats on the center of my palm. It's my distinct purple colour, but a lot darker, probably because of all the stress I'm under.

Alisa flinches and skitters back a few steps. She drops her bags at her feet and almost backs into a bunch of Tiana's boxes. Her eyes are as wide as the moon and I can practically hear her heart beating against her chest. She pants anxiously and in panic. I move the orb with my finger and then decide to stop it. I extinguish the light and put my hands behind my back.

I can see tears streaming down her face now. She's going into a panic attack and I can't blame her. Realizing that there is so much more to this world and to the person she called her best friend is a lot to take in. I just turn to the window and look out into the rain.

The tiny droplets pound the pavement with no mercy and thunder rumbles in the distance. The streetlights do their best to illuminate the street in orange light, but dim when lightning strikes behind the trees. I usually enjoy the rain, but tonight it's really stormy. I'm surprised Alisa found a cab driver who would brave this type of weather.

My line of vision goes to the empty lot across the way, covered in thick green brush. They wave in random patterns as the wind whips them around in the chilled night air. The water soaked pavement seems to glow in the two flickering streetlights, attempting to keep the road lit. I like to see the beauty of light reflecting in the raindrops. It all seems to shine, bringing light when there is none to be seen.

Something catches my eye. A more significant shine, it glows differently in the streetlight. I continue to stare and it takes me a minute to process what I'm staring at. The...thing seems to be winking and when another flash of lightning comes...I see holes in the middle of the glowing circles... are eyes in the bushes across the street. The eyes reflecting the glowing lights on the street. I swallow hard as the eyes look directly into mine.

Slowly, but surely...the head of a massive wolf comes from those leaves and branches. I want to take a step back, but I maintain the line of vision. My heart beats faster as I realize that this is the same wolf who seems to be stalking me ever since I came to town. It was the same wolf who looked injured the first night I stayed in my apartment and the same one sleeping in the road.

 _It can't be Ruby!_ I insist to myself. _Are there any more wolves around here? I need to ask her!_

I don't have time to look any further when I see Alisa struggling to open the trapdoor upstairs. Stumbling over one of Tiana's boxes, I follow her.

"Turn the latch the other way and push at the same time." I say softly.

Alisa does so and she opens up into my room. I follow behind at a slight distance...unsure what she'll do next.

I'm halfway through the trap door when Alisa drops her bag to the floor and takes in her surroundings. I've added a few odds and ends to decorate since coming to Storybrooke. It's a lot more homey than my apartment in New York, but still has a modern chic to it as well. White really brings the room together and brightens the room further. It really feels like me.

"Nice." Alisa says.

Alisa goes over to my bulletin board over my bed and looks at the pictures. I've added quite a few recently since coming here, including a selfie with Ruby and a picture of my Dad and Belle. There's still pictures of my old life there and among them are pictures of Alisa and me, partying, celebrating the Fourth of July and Christmas.

Alisa collapses on the ground. I immediately rush over to her and put my arms around her.

She resists for only a few moments and then embraces me.

"I'm so sorry Alisa." I whisper. "I know I'll never be able to make it up to you in any way for what I put you through, but please understand that you are still me best friend and always will be. All the secrets I kept was because I was selfish and afraid and I'm an idiot for not confiding in you. I should have trusted you..."

Alisa squeezes me hard and I stop talking. We just sit in embrace for a long while, letting the rain fall on the roof and the thunder rumble on. We sit in the silence, re-kindling the relationship we had as friends. Our trust was tested and right now we're doing all we can to keep it.

...

As the morning light comes over, Alisa rolls over on my bed. I spent the night in a bean bag chair nearby and I get up and start making some coffee for her. Eventually the smell wakes her up and she stirs from her bed.

"Morning." I say gently, handing her a mug.

"Morning" she yawns. "No coffee for you?"

"Can't." I put my hand on my abdomen.

"Oh right..." she nods. "How far along are you?"

"About a month."

"Morning sickness?"

"A little." I answer.

"Mason's?"

"Yes." I nod. I decide to change the subject. "You know I always thought that it would be you and Raymond would be the one to have a baby first."

"Not until we were married." Alisa says, sipping her coffee. "And when Raymond became a lawyer."

"Of course." I say.

"Have any ideas about how you're going to raise it?" she asks.

"Here..." I say. "And that's all I know right now."

"Are you going to get another job?"

"Working on that. you know all the boxes downstairs?"

"Yeah?"

"Those are a friend of mine, Tiana's. She wants to open a restaurant business down below, I'm going to help and I'll get some of the money since I'm helping her out."

"But you don't know business." Alisa says.

"But Tiana does. I'll work there until the baby's born."

"What about child support?"

Man Alisa can be so cynical, she just wants all the details. She's always been one to plan her life out in advance, unlike me.

"The thing is Lis...I have no idea where Mason is and when I tried texting or calling him, his number doesn't exist anymore. Besides... he dumped me..."

I sit on the bed next to her and wipe my eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry." she says, she puts her cup on the nightstand and hugs me. "I know he meant a lot to you."

I just nod and and wipe the tears from my eyes.

"So this is your apartment." Alisa says.

"Yes do you like it?"

"I'd prefer your loft in NYC, but this is nice too."

"Thanks." I say. "I kind of went for nostalgia meets modern."

"And lots of white too." Alisa adds. "Most of your stuff is here, how'd you get it here without me knowing about it?"

I give Alisa a look and I snap my fingers. I teleport a few feet to the window and then teleport back.

Alisa's eyes go wide and her breath catches in her throat. I sit down next to her and grab her hand.

"Lis...I'm sorry, I'll just show more restraint with the powers, it's just everyone around here is used to it."

Alisa doesn't say anything and I know it's a lot to process. For a long time I was in full denial that I had such weird powers and that they actually existed. I thought I was crazy and I'm sure that's what Alisa's thinking too, I guess I'll have to show more control for the sake of my best friend.

"It's... it's cool. It'll just take some getting used to."

"It will." I agree, I grab her hand and look at her. "Lis...you can be as mad as you want at me right now, but I'd really like for you to know the new me. Powers and all. i want you to meet my friends and newly discovered family"

"I guess I can hang around. The real reason I came here was to slap you and convince you to come back home."

"I know..." I nod. "But this is my home now and I'd like to you at least be a part of it."

"I can try..." Alisa says. "As long as you take the time to come back and fix the mess you left and tell the cops you're not dead."

"I'm going to have to..." I say and I swallow. I'm nervous about returning to New York and facing the kids again...but I have to, for Brendan and Tiana's sake.

"You will?" Alisa asks.

"I'll explain more when you meet her. Things are a lot more complicated than you think."

"More than magic powers and a town full of princesses, pirates and mermaids?"

"Trust me you haven't seen anything yet."


	25. Chapter 25: New Kid on the Block

Chapter 25: New Kid on the Block

There is noise downstairs. I figure that Tiana would be here sooner or later.

"Who's that?" Alisa asks.

"Tiana..."

"Who's she?"

"She's a friend I met here. I'm helping her open her own restaurant," I explain.

"Is that where all that crap came from?" She asks. "I thought they might've been your stuff, but then again your kitchen wasn't that big."

"Well, Tiana's is. She's a good cook."

"So why are you helping her?" Lisa asks.

"You know that kid I mentioned back after the mailbox explosion? The new kid?"

"Vaguely..." she mutters.

"Well...that kid is her son."

"So what is she doing here if he son's in New York?"

"He was adopted after he was born,"

"Does she know that?" Lis asks.

"Yes, it's a long story, Lis...Let's just say she didn't want to give him up,"

"So who...?"

"Crystal are you up?" Tiana calls.

"Uh...yeah just getting dressed," I answer.

"I've got the cheque here for the land."

"Cool thanks. I'll be right down," I say. I look at Alisa. "You want the shower first?"

"Go ahead, I'll shower later."

The familiar uneasiness in my stomach comes back. I rush to the bathroom throwing up into the toilet. Alisa holds my hair as I do so.

"Damn morning sickness!" I mutter. I lean back I'd forgotten to take my prenatal vitamins prescribed by Dr. Whale.

Alisa doesn't say anything, just helps me to the sink and I wash the acidic taste from my mouth. I brush my teeth after and feel hungry again. I look down at my flat stomach.

"I'll eat soon I promise." I moan.

"At least, you know you're pregnant and not assuming it's the flu. Did you take a test?"

"No... I was a little early for a test. My uh... ability had me sense the energy growing inside of me and I went to the ultrasound two weeks ago."

"That's the weirdest way to prove pregnancy I've ever heard."

"Only in Storybrooke," I joke. "Now will you please allow me to get cleaned up, I have a client downstairs."

Alisa leaves me to it and I clean myself, feeling much better with the running hot water over my skin. I'm still slightly shaky after throwing up last night's grilled cheese. Part of me wishes I had my mom to call for remedies for morning sickness. My heart drops when I think about my mom. She'll never be the grandmother she always wanted to be. She'll never see my baby's first steps and I can't go to her for parenting advice. I do have Snow, Regina, and all the other mothers in Storybrooke to help me out, but there is still a small void that no one can fill. A girl will always her mother, no matter what. I guess Snow and Regina can fill some of the space, but Lillian Miller will never fully be replaced.

I get out of the shower and change. I comb my hair and head down to see Tiana, bright and sunny, wearing a lime green dress with matching heels. I can see the excitement in her face as she holds the envelope with all the paperwork inside it.

"This is it huh?" Tiana says.

"I guess it is," I say.

We make a table out of Tiana's boxes and I start going through the paperwork. Tiana really out did herself, going to city hall to acclaim the deeds for the land, learn its history and doing everything else necessary to make sure this building became her dream restaurant. I decided that we'd become part owners of the land since we pretty much get half and a half.

I read through everything and I sign on the dotted line.

"There you are..." I say with a smile. "Tiana's Restaurant is now officially on the road."

Tiana gets up and hugs me.

"Thank you so much!" she says. I can hear she's crying a bit too.

"It's my pleasure and I promise, I'll bring your son home."

I swallow hard. I really don't want to make an empty promise.

"Cris?" I hear Alisa comes down the stairs.

Tiana stands up and smooths out her dress with her apron.

"Uh, Tiana this is Alisa, my friend from New York."

Alisa comes down the stairs, holding out her hand and Tiana takes it.

"So what fairy tale are you from?" Alisa blurts.

I moan and slap my hand against my head. "Lis...!"

"If what you told me is true, Crystal, I'd like to know who you made friends with."

"I'm from _The Frog Prince_ or the _Princess and the Frog_ if you saw the Disney version."

"So where's your frog prince?"

"LISA!" I bark in embarrassment.

Tiana's fists clench up and I can hear her grind her teeth.

"He's a frog alright, but he's not my prince...not anymore."

"What..."

I grab Alisa and drag her to the stairs.

"Lis, why don't you go shower and get dressed and I'll take you to _Granny's_ "

I don't give her much choice and she obeys what I say.

I turn to Tiana. "Sorry Tia, she came into town unexpectedly and I told her everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. And she's also impulsive sometimes, so she rarely thinks before she speaks. I haven't exactly gone into detail about who's who in town yet."

"I can understand if I found out that I was staying in a town with all the fairy tales we grew up with, I'd be asking a lot of questions too."

"Of course there, you guys just called them tales," I smirk.

Tiana laughs.

"But I was more concerned about the mention of Naveen."

She sighs and shrugs. "If we're going to get Brendan back, I'm going to have to tolerate his company."

I smile at Tiana. "That's the mature thing to do and you won't have to go and marry him for this to work."

Tiana looks down at her shoes. She lets out a long sigh.

"What?" I ask.

"It's nothing, It's just... I was just thinking about back when I was with Naveen...I actually thought he was my Prince Charming and I thought...you know, we'd get married and have a family."

I try to smile at her, but my love life is no better than hers, maybe even worse." We all dream about it at some point, we always think about the future even on the first date and you hope the first love lasts to that point. Having a happy life..."

"And to have that happy ending,"

"Well I saw nothing, but ends to most of my relationships."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah..." I begin to tell Tiana about the infamous exes. She tries to look concerned, but she ends up laughing at the mention of Billy and his "craft."

"Wow!" she laughs

"I know right..." I laugh when I hear Alisa coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Lis..." I say.

"Hi, what were you guys talking about?"

"The infamous exes."

"You don't know how many times she called me up about a breakup. You kind of become numb to it after awhile."

"You should've kept a log." Tiana jokes. "Anyway, I have to go and do some errands, I'll be by later to do some reorganizing. Nice to meet you, Alisa."

"Bye," Alisa says and we watch Tiana go out the door.

I turn to my best friend.

"Hungry?"

...

I take Alisa to _Granny's_ for brunch. We sit down at a booth and order coffee, well she does. I introduce Alisa to Ruby and then she takes our order. Once we have our drinks, I turn to Alisa.

"Listen, Lis I know you want me to come back, but I'm so comfortable here."

"But I miss you."

"I miss you too, but I'm happy here, I was never fully happy in New York. Here I have a family and lots of friends."

"Aren't I your friend?"

"The best, but I don't belong in this world even," I say.

"I know that and apparently everyone here is from that same world?"

"Yes."

"In a world where all our fairy tales come true?"

"Yes."

"Then why can't I come?"

"Weren't you born in Colorado?" I ask.

"So what, I want a happy ending too."

"Everyone wants a happy ending Lis, but you know I don't belong here. If someone knew I had those powers, they'd take me away and experiment on me. I'd probably be used as a weapon in the military."

"Would that be so bad?"

I give Lisa a kick under the table.

"I promise I will sort out the landlord and job stuff, We're going to have to back to New York anyway." I mutter.

"We?"

"Remember when I told you Tiana's kid was in New York?"

"Yeah..."

I begin explaining Tiana's heartache of a story to Alisa. Ruby brings us our food and we eat as I tell her the need to get her son back. I also tell about using Raymond to get us a good lawyer.

"And that's why we might need Raymond," I finish and take a sip of juice. My stomach has settled a bit, enough for me to eat. I'm assuming that the baby is hungry. "I was hoping you could get in contact with him sometime soon."

"I don't know Cris..." Alisa says. "Raymond and I are taking our time apart remember."

"This could bring you back together," I say optimistically. "Besides, isn't he studying to be a lawyer?"

"Yeah, but he's an intern right now. he's pushing paperwork and crap like that"

"This could be his opportunity to move up."

"Dream on Cris, this isn't some daytime television special, it's real life."

I raise my eyebrow. "You really want to lecture me about real life?"

"Fine, but I still won't do it," Alisa says. "It's because of you that we're apart."

"I know and I'm sorry. What if I talked to him and apologized for putting so much pressure on your relationship?"

"That still wouldn't put me back in his arms."

"How about if we win the case, he'll be a big shot lawyer and make lots of money, enough for you guys to get married?"

Alisa goes red in the face. Her mouth opens and then closes again. She really does love Raymond. They've been together for three years, high school sweethearts and all that. before she met Raymond, Alisa was a serial dater who had her fair share of broken hearts. Raymond changed all that.

He swept her off her feet and they never looked back. They seem compatible with each other and both can't keep their hands off one another. They have a deep bond of mutual respect too and they hardly ever fight. They always had plans to get married someday, after Raymond put himself through law school and got a six-figure job. The dreams were partially far fetched and partially realistic. I envy them a lot, after my tornado of romances and my latest leaving me pregnant and alone.

"Fine, but you owe me big!" Alisa caves. I take another sip of my juice and smile at her.

"I love you, best friend in the whole wide world."

Alisa pretends to be annoyed and kicks me under the table.

We pay for our meals and head out into the street, I give Alisa the grand tour. I point out all the interesting things to see in Storybrooke. Alisa tries to look bored, but I can tell she's interested, at least a little bit. We pass a few people who stare at the new face a, but Lisa does her best to ignore them. I re-assure her that it'll get better soon.

We stop under the clock tower and Alisa peers inside. Emma walks up to us.

"Uh...Crystal..." she says. "Who's this?"

"Sorry Emma this is my best friend from New York, Alisa?"

Alisa holds her hand out. "Nice to meet you."

Emma reluctantly shakes it. She shoots me a glance. "Pleasure's all mine."

"I told her everything Emma, I'm sorry, but I had to..."

Emma shakes her head disappointed in me.

"Don't worry I can keep a secret..." Alisa says trying to reassure Emma.

I look up at Emma. "It's a trust thing. She had to deal with a lot of crap back at home, so I owed her, at least, the truth."

"Do you think she can...?"

"She got most of the shock out of her system last night, besides, I didn't invite her here, she found me."

"Really?" Emma says.

"I'm very good at finding people," Alisa says proudly. "So which fairy tale are you from?"

"She's not," I answer for her. "She's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"I didn't know they had kids!" Alisa says, tipping her head to the side.

"It a lot more complicated than that," I say. "They've got two, actually."

"Really?"

"Uh...yes." Emma swallows hard.

I pull Alisa close and bring my voice to a whisper. "It's a really long story Alisa, I'll give you the book later on."

Hook walks up to us. "New face in two months, that hardly ever happens." He raises an eyebrow at Alisa.

"Hook, this is my friend Alisa, she's from New York."

"Hook?" Alisa says. "As in Captain Hook?" She takes a step back.

"It's okay Lis, he's dating Emma," I explain. "Peter Pan was kind of backward, you see Hook was actually an okay guy and Peter Pan was the evil one." I left out the part that he was actually my grandfather as well. Timing is key in a situation like this.

Alisa looks wide-eyed at Hook. I can see the googly love eyes on her like I had when I met him. She'll have to accept the fact that he's taken and go back to Raymond. Hook pulls his left-hand replacement out of his pocket and lets his hook glow in the sunlight. Alisa takes another step back.

I motion to Hook to put it away, it's a bit much for right now. He does so.

"My preferred name is Killian," He says and he holds his right hand out for her to shake.

Alisa looks at me reluctantly and I nod, saying it's okay. She takes Hook's hand and shakes it. He gives her is half-smile and I can see her blush.

"Welcome to Storybrooke." he says.

"T-Thank you." Alisa gushes, keeping his hand in her grasp. I nudge her and she lets go of his hand.

"What brings her to town?" Hook asks.

"She came to find me and try to convince me to go back to New York," I say.

"And is it working?"

I look at Alisa. She shakes her head.

"She's pretty sold on the small town." Alisa answers.

"Most of us are," Emma says. "It may not be much, but it grows on you."

"It does have nostalgia charm," Lis admits. "But what do you guys do for fun?"

I can't help but roll my eyes. Fun is always on Alisa's to do list. She thinks it's more important than food sometimes. I'll admit I like the spontaneity of her actions, Alisa will always think of something fun for us to do together, especially when I've had a bad day and planned to spend the night vegging on the couch. I think part of the reason she moved to New York in the first place was to never have a dull moment. She hits the clubs, the bars, the casinos and anywhere else with glowing or flashing lights.

"We...fight dark ones, slay dragons, stop underworld guardians, fight queens of darkness..." Emma smiles. "Or were you looking for something more exciting like playing pool or darts?"

I can't help, but laugh at Emma's sarcasm and it shuts Alisa up for a little while.

"Crystal," Rumple says hobbling up to us with his cane.

"Hi...dad." I wince. Alisa takes a step back.

"Might I ask who this is?" he says in his thick accent.

"Dad...this is Alisa, one of my few friends from New York."

Rumple looks at Alisa up and down, as if to get a full idea of who she is just by looking at her. I can tell Alisa is nervous, especially by the fact that she knows who he is and how powerful he can be. Yet, she looks at him with some kind of awe and fascination. She'd never heard anything about my dad previously, mostly because I never knew anything either.

He holds out his hand to her.

"Rumpelstiltskin..." he says.

"Alisa Reynolds." she squeaks.

"Dad, she's aware of everything that is going on here. She's going to keep the secret and she's going to help me eventually."

Rumple continues to look Alisa up and down, trying to get a sense of who she is. His stern eyes seem to burrow into her soul and I can see she swallows hard. She takes a step back and shifts behind me for protection.

"How's Belle?" I ask, trying to break the awkward silence.

"She's fine, extremely ecstatic about the news."

"Any morning sickness yet?"

"She's only a month, so not yet."

"Meanwhile, your daughter has been vomiting consistently in the toilet," Alisa blurts. I shoot her a look.

"Speaking of that... I never learned the name of the father or was it a one night stand where several others were involved? Were you paid at the end of it?"

I glare at him and with a flick of my wrist, I pull his cane out from under him in anger. He goes to the ground, face hugging the pavement. I can feel acid crawling up my throat and tears in my eyes. I want so badly to kick gravel in his face, but he is my father and I need to show some restraint and patience with him. He's a scum bag...plain and simple. But those kinds of comments about someone I loved cut a lot deeper than anything else he says.

"Think so lowly of your own daughter do you?" I words roll off my tongue like acid.

"Well, your record with the law is not exactly clean," he grunts, attempting to pull himself up.

"Since when do you have a code of ethics?" I snap. "How many murders have you committed?"

I hear Alisa suck in a sharp breath and back up even further. She goes towards _Granny's_ , ready to flee the scene. I turn to her.

"Don't worry Lis, this is just standard family disputes. You should've seen us when we first met, I lifted a fricken car into the air."

I try to sound in good humor, covering up about how serious this might get. My dad and I are just so different. I've only known him for about a month and he already knows how to get under my skin.

He conjures a fireball.

A loud growl rips through the air, startling us all. Rumple takes a step back.

Bounding out from a back alleyway comes a wolf...no...the wolf, the one that's been following me around. His fur is matted and covered in mud and twigs. My heart goes into my throat as he approaches us, his fierce blue eyes filled with madness. Rumple tries to launch the fireball at the wolf, but he easily dodges it. Before my father can attack again, the wolf lands between us.

The wolf snarls at Rumpelstiltskin and growls. He takes a protective stance in front of me. He scrapes his paw against the pavement, challenging my father to make a move.

Rumple is stunned and extremely shaken by this creature's sudden appearance. He attempts to brush himself off and regain composure, but he's too stunned for words.

I can't believe it. All, this time, I thought he was stalking me, hoping to pick me off as something to eat...but he was watching over me.

I see those eyes...those piercing blue eyes, ones I have not seen in a long time...

"Oh, my..."


	26. Chapter 26: I Promise

Chapter 26: I Promise…

My heart drops immediately.

"Mason?" I say in a hoarse whisper.

The wolf bows his head and huge tears fall from his huge eyes. He whines gently and tries to avoid eye contact with me. I just know he doesn't want to see me, after the way he treated me, but right now I don't care. The man I love is back and now my child will have a father.

I don't know what I'm thinking, I just run over to him and wrap my arms around his huge neck. I can feel my own tears coming.

"I missed you so much!" I sob. I bury my face in his thick fur. No wonder I kept seeing this wolf, he was watching over me. I can already guess this is why he left, to keep his secret from me. He was probably afraid that I would reject him for what he was, but he was so wrong. If I can be The Dark One's child, he can be whatever he wanted. It doesn't matter who or what we are, he stood by me and I will do the same. He was also probably trying to protect me, I know wolves can be unpredictable, but I'm more than capable of protecting myself.

I know I'm making a scene on the street, but the love of my life is back and I'm so happy.

Eventually, Emma clears her throat. I pull away from Mason, hating that I need to

"Sorry, Emma, Lisa, Ruby, David, Henry, Hook, Mary Margret, Regina, Belle, Rumple...this is Mason...my boyfriend."

A small grin spreads across Ruby's face and Emma, Regina and Mary Margret's faces are priceless. Rumple and Belle seem wary and keep their distance from us.

I turn back to Mason, his blue eyes staring at the ground.

"Is this why you left?" I ask quietly.

The whine becomes louder and his head goes up and down in a nodding fashion.

I can almost assume what he's thinking.

"I'm not mad," I reassure him, with a comforting smile. I lean forward and kiss his furry snout. Part of me is wishing he's human right now so I could kiss his lips again, feel his arms around me instead of big, clawed paws.

He whines again and looks me in the eyes.

"I'm not, now I have the reason of why you dumped me," I say gently.

He bows his head down low and nods.

"I missed you...we have a lot of catching up to do..." I say.

Mason leans over and licks my face.

"He's the biggest wolf I've ever seen," Granny says coming out of the restaurant in her apron. The fact that there is a giant wolf in the middle of Main Street is drawing quite the crowd.

Mason leans over and sniffs Granny. His tail wags a few times.

"Yes, I'm one of them," Granny says reassuringly. She leans over to Ruby. "The one in the hood is too."

"Can you understand him?" I ask.

"Only telepathically and only in wolf form too." Granny answers. "I'm also really good at reading body language."

She walks around Mason's thick furry body. She stops at his back leg.

"Lift your paw please." she says.

Mason does so.

"Ah!" She says aloud. "Shadow Clan."

I go up behind Granny and engraved on the padding of Mason's paw is a small design of a star and sword.

Ruby peers over at me.

"What's the Shadow Clan?" Ruby asks.

"A dark and powerful pack of wolves from an adjacent enchanted forest," Granny explains. "Our clan has been at war with them for centuries. You see, while we try to limit our killing and show restraint, these ones tend to be cold-blooded animals. Their will power to shift from man to beast is also a lot stronger than ours, which only comes at the full moon. Some I even hear, can change at will, but it's rare." She puts the paw back down. "They're a lot bigger too. The most massive of all wolves."

She's not wrong there, Mason's enormous frame towers over even David.

"Each clan has specific markings on their back feet and a distinct scent, it's how we tell each other apart."

"So that's what that is?" Ruby asks. "I thought it was a birthmark."

"Our clan is an image of an elk horn and a thistle," Granny says.

"It was cool, I had it tattooed on my ankle and foot," Ruby adds.

Granny turns back to Mason.

"Were you born into the clan?" she asks.

Mason shakes his head no.

Granny doesn't miss a beat. "Who bit you? Someone from the Shadow Clan?"

Mason nods.

"Do you have control over it?"

Mason shakes his head.

"Did you abandon the Clan?" Ruby asks.

Mason nods again.

"I feel like we're talking to Lassie." Emma mutters. I shoot her a look.

Mason's paw scrapes against the pavement.

"Can you change back?" Granny asks.

Mason shakes for no. My heart drops then. He must have left me, knowing he had no control over what he was doing. It seems that he's been cursed by someone or something to remain a wolf. It must have been the week he left. He did it all to protect me?

"Can we change him back?" I ask.

"Unlikely," Granny says, not sparing any of my feelings in the process. Dashing hope on the spot. "If he can't change at will then there must be some kind of curse."

"There has to be a spell or something we can do to help him!" I practically whine. I want my Mason back. I want him to hold him again, I want to feel his kisses on my lips, hear his beautiful voice in my ears.

I turn to my father in haste. "Don't you have a spell or potion or something that could work?"

"I'm afraid not Crystal...My repertoire was in the dark arts, but never in dog training."

Belle stomps on his foot at that remark and I glare at him.

Ruby snaps her head back at him in a glare.

I look over at Regina.

"Regina?"

"I've never fully studied transformation magic, much less on wolves." she answers.

I'm running out of options.

"Granny is there some..."

"I'm sorry, Crystal. This is out of my control," she says sadly.

I want to break down in tears. I look up at Mason and he avoids my eyes.

"I'm not giving up that easily, there must be something in this town that can cure him."

I look up at that clock tower with the library underneath. There must be something that can undo this curse on Mason. I turn to Belle.

"I can help if I can." Belle nods.

I go up to Mason and hug him tightly.

"You won't be like this forever. I promise." I whisper. "I won't let my baby grow up without a father."

Mason's eyes go wide and he steps back. He lets out a small whine and pokes my stomach with his snout.

"It's yours...I didn't know until a week ago. But I don't care what you are, I'm not losing you again! I'll find a way to help you... I promise.."

I know it's an empty promise, but there's no way I'm losing him again. The first time almost cost me my sanity. I really don't care if the baby I'm carrying is part werewolf, I make it worse with being the Dark One's child, but this baby will grow up with both its parents, no matter what.

I turn and start walking towards the library. A burning passion has been ignited within me. I will find a cure for him and he will be there in human form when I give birth in 8 months. I love him!

I can hear my father behind me.

"So the father of my grandchild is a wolf." Rumple murmurs, he leans on his cane. "I will have to ask him if he's worthy of my daughter," he says with a small grin. Belle nudges him hard.

I continue walking towards the library.

 _I promise...!_


	27. Chapter 27: Memories

Chapter 27: Memories

I yawn and rub my eyes.

"This book is useless too." I moan and stretch out. I toss the book into the growing pile on the library's floor.

I put my face down on an already open book like a pillow.

I think Belle starts saying something, but I'm only half conscious.

"Hey wake up!" Belle says, nudging me.

I snort and sit up.

"Sorry..." I yawn.

Belle is looking into another book, propped open in front of her and another in her left hand. She's a much faster reader than I am. I'm just amazed she's able to stay awake like this. The baby hormones are sucking a lot of the energy from me.

Alisa, Belle and I have spent the rest of the day in the library, looking for a cure for Mason. My boyfriend has been outside this entire time, keeping watch until he left at sunset to go hunting. He now rests under the far window outside of the library, sleeping himself.

 _He's lucky he's a wolf and can't turn the pages_. I think to myself. _The things you do for love._

"What time is it?" I ask, my eyes still shut in exhaustion.

"It's after midnight," Alisa says. She is reading Henry's fairy tale book in the corner to get herself up to speed on everyone in town.

"Has it only been a few hours since we had dinner?" Belle asks. "Because I'm hungry again."

"Perks of being pregnant," I murmur sleepily.

"Can you conjure up something to eat?" Belle asks me.

I flick my wrist and a plate of saltine crackers appears. Belle helps herself to one and I nibble on one as I search for another book on a nearby shelf.

"I feel like we're getting nowhere fast," I moan. "This is also not good for either of us to be awake so late and push our bodies to the point exhaustion."

"The last thing either of you wants is to miscarry," Alisa says.

I shoot her a look. "Can we please stay cheerful please?" I ask in contempt.

"Sorry, but my mood and thought processes reach zero if I don't get some coffee."

"Speaking of which..." a voice comes through the propped open door to let the cool Maine air in.

Emma enters. She enters the library with a tray of coffees from Granny's in one hand and a box of doughnuts in the other.

"Thank God!" Alisa says exasperatedly as if Emma just brought in the Holy Grail, which would save her life. She tosses Henry's book to the side and gets up to the table.

"How's it going?" Emma asks as she places the tray and box down.

"Emma..." I say looking at the treats. "Not to be rude but Belle and I can't drink coffee."

"That's why I brought green tea and mint tea instead," Emma says. "My mom made that more than clear when she was pregnant. Rumple also suggested herbal tea for Belle."

I take the warm cup and put my lips to it. The scent of the tea relaxes me a bit.

"Any luck?" Emma asks, staring at one of the open books.

"No, besides silver bullets, I can't think of anything that can cure werewolves," I moan.

"Silver bullets?" Belle asks in surprise.

"Horror movie trope Belle, let's not get into it," Alisa says from the back.

"Of all the books in this place, you'd think it'd have something about werewolves."

"Besides Twilight," Alisa jokes.

"Granny and Ruby are no use because apparently these are Shadow clan wolves, a lot more mysterious that they don't know. Even my dad is useless." I say. "The only one who would know about them would be Mason."

"And it's not like we can read his mind..." Alisa adds.

Emma suddenly goes quiet.

"What?" I ask.

"Actually, there is a way, we've used it on a dog before."

"Of course dreamcatchers!" Belle lights up. "They help us search through memories."

"Dreamcatchers?" Alisa says.

"Enchanted ones," Emma adds.

"Rumple has a few that I can probably get ahold of!" Belle says, getting up and grabbing her coat. "I'll be back soon."

"Maybe we should call it a night and do it in the morning," I suggest.

"That's a good idea," Emma nods.

I get up with my tea and give Emma and Belle a hug before leaving with Alisa.

"That fairy tale book is really interesting," Alisa says as we walk up the street towards my apartment. "I had no idea that all these tales were so interconnected."

"And you know who the key connector is...?" I moan.

"Your dad," Alisa answers.

I nod.

"They say you can't pick your family."

"I didn't, I didn't even know him until about a month ago. If I could have a father like Charming or Robin, I'd be a lot happier, instead of a troll who has given me this gawd awful life."

"Try to keep in mind that without him, you wouldn't be alive at all."

She makes a good point.

"Let's just go home and sleep this off," I say.

"Alright,"

...

"It'll be okay Mason," I reassure him. He shakes his head nervously.

"You won't feel a thing," Belle says, showing us the assortment of dream catchers she got from Gold.

Mason keeps his eyes low.

I lift his chin to look me in the eyes.

"Look, as long as you're in wolf form, we need some method of communicating and finding a cure."

Mason whines and looks down.

Charming, Snow, Granny, Ruby, Emma, Hook, Regina, Henry Belle, Alisa and my father have all gathered in the library around the massive form of Mason.

"We've done this before Mason," Emma says. "It'll be just like looking at a video."

"That can enter the dark recesses of your mind and reveal much about you," my dad adds.

"Dad, why are you even here?" I snap.

"I'm curious about where this mutt..." He gets a sharp look from me and Belle. "This... individual is from. I'd like to know what kind of a threat his kind may hold to the town. Plus you are carrying his child, so I'd like to know my son-in-law."

The rest of us look at each other doubtfully. I've gotten to know him too well to know that he just wants to see what kind of magic the Shadow Clan uses. He also doesn't care about the pack being a threat to our town, he just wants to know if they'll be a threat to him.

Emma waves her hand over the dreamcatcher and places it near Mason's head.

"Ready?" she asks.

Mason stands up straight. I sit next to him and stroke his fur to calm him.

The memory comes into the frame in the middle of the dreamcatcher's netting.

Everything is from Mason's point of view and we see what he sees. A building is shown. This building seems oddly familiar to me. It's library with the shelves of books. We continue watching the dreamcatcher as if it is a movie screen. What used to be Mason, peers around the bookshelf and I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's me, a few years back, my hair pulled back into a braid. Suddenly, I realize that this is the memory of our first time meeting. He was watching me from afar for a while until I saw him too and tripped over my own feet. The books I had go flying everywhere, yet somehow Mason managed to catch me.

"Are you alright?" the voice asks.

I look like a total dork, the shy introvert that I was, fighting with my inner demon and all.

"I'm okay thank you," I say, as I begin to pick up the books. Mason helps me, looking at one of the titles.

"Classic Fairytales?"

"I work at a Childcare centre in Manhattan," the old memory of me explains. "They love the fairy tales as much as I do."

"I have a particular liking for them as well..." Mason said cleverly.

"I find it's a great way to escape the real world."

I can't help, but smile as I watch as Mason and I are walking on the beach, where we shared our first kiss. I can still feel the wind in my hair and the warmth of his body as I held his arm. The water running up at our ankles and the sand beneath our toes.

He picks me up bridal style and twirls me around until he's so dizzy we both fall over, me screaming in laughter the entire time. We're soaked and I begin splashing him for making us wet. I see the pause that occurred before we kissed. My eyes seem to glow in the sunset, at least according to Mason. I can practically feel our lips touching for the first time.

"This is all very nice," Rumple murmurs. "But it doesn't bring us any closer to finding a cure."

"We may have to back further," Emma says.

Rumple goes forward and waves his hand over the tiny wooden circle, which I assume is the rewind button.

I move closer to Mason as a new image takes form.

The scene is in a forest, lit only by single fire. A group of hooded figures surrounds Mason, none of their faces can be seen. I can't tell if this is some kind of cult or demonic sacrifice, either way, it is not good. I can almost feel the eeriness of this scene as these figures loom over Mason, who is kneeling at their feet.

A shadowed taller man steps forward from the group of cloaked beings.

"Mason, you know connections with beings other than your kind are strictly forbidden. You must breed within your own kind, the wolves must remain dominant."

"I am not with my own kind. You made me this way, I was human before this,"

"Your father owed us a debt. A debt for the wealth and the life of his wife."

"Both of whom you murdered..." Mason snarls.

"Everything must come with a price..."

We all turn to my dad after Mason says this. Emma pauses the memory.

"Please don't tell this is you!" I snap.

"Certainly not, but perhaps he picked up a few pointers from the Dark One," my dad shrugs. It infuriates me that he's so nonchalant about the murder of innocent people. I can almost see the pride in his smile that his actions are being idolized.

The cloaked figure removes his hood. We see a tall, thin dark haired man, about 30 years or so, his eyes glow a deep yellow, clearly not human, as he stands over Mason. His nose is unusually large and his teeth match his eyes. Clearly, they are the Shadow clan and they live like the animals they are.

"Your connection with our mortal enemy's offspring is inexcusable and are for the grounds of expulsion from the brotherhood."

That clears up that problem. My dad is their enemy, no surprise there.

"Which is what I..."

"HOWEVER!" the figure barks. "Her potential powers are quite interesting and you are aware of our previous mission to hunt her down?"

Mason is silent.

"We are going to keep you in the brotherhood, allowing you to become close to her. Then when the time is right, we want you to bring her to us so her powers can be used for the benefit of our pack."

"NO!" Mason yells. "I won't let you hurt her! I will not be used for such things!"

"You do not have a choice. I am in charge and you must obey me."

"No!" Mason yells.

The vision of the memory suddenly distorts and becomes warped. We hear animal growl loudly and suddenly Mason lunges at the cloaked figure, snarling, clearly having turned into a wolf. It's hard to see what happens next as there are snarling, fur and I also think blood too. We assume it is a violent confrontation.

The memory ends abruptly.

I look over at Mason. I go over and give him a hug. He risked his life and ended his ties for me. Our love was more important to him than anything. There was no way he cheated on me at any point, that was just me being a paranoid idiot. He gave up everything for me and it also explains how he knew about my connection to the Dark One before I did. But what was this connection the leader was talking about? How did my dad become their mortal enemy, besides the obvious I mean?

"What happened next?" Henry asks. I can tell he's very invested in this like it's some kind of movie.

There is now a scene in the kitchen, which is in Mason's apartment, it's raining outside as Mason leans against the sink looking out the window. He's talking on the phone.

"I've already told you, I've left the pack and I'm not coming back."

"You leave the brotherhood for the Dark One's daughter?!" The voice on the other end hisses.

"She loves me and I love her," Mason insists.

"You know full well that she is unaware of her past and how dangerous she can be..."

"I don't care what she is, as long as we're together..."

"You are aware of the master's interest in her powers, correct?" The voice interrupts.

There's a pause.

"Yes...what about it?"

"Do you know why he wants them?"

"For the Lord of the Underworld..."

"Yes..."

Emma looks at me. "What the hell does this have to do with Hades?"

"Hades?!" I swallow my anger.

I look over at my dad. "What deal did you make with Hades?"


	28. Chapter 28: A New Deal!

Chapter 28: A New Deal!

Rumple swallows hard.

"Dad!" I snap sharply. "What deal with Hades?"

My powers are beginning to act up in anger. I whack my hand down in front of him to show the glowing palm.

"Well...y-you see, long before you were born, Baelfire became injured and I met someone who could heal him. Of course, it came with a price and I had to promise my second-born child to him, in exchange for Bael's life. Well... in order to ensure that this didn't happen... I killed him and once in the Underworld, that man signed over the rights to Hades and... Well, not long after Cora left me, so I never thought I had to fulfill the bargain. That is until your mother came to me with her secret. I knew I had to give you to him. I also feared that my powers had been drained due to your conception...so I convinced your mother that you would be pure evil and such and that you needed to be raised by someone who could control your magic."

"What about the consumption of my heart?" I bark at him.

"I planned to do... that too. Hades never specified if the child had to be living, but I kept this a secret from your mother until she heard my heart plan and threw herself into the portal. After that..." he pauses. "It wasn't my problem anymore."

"And you planned to tell me this when?!" I bark angrily.

"I thought you knew..." he said.

"How in all of the hell would I know this?!" I snarl. Tears in my eyes, I thought I was finally starting to trust him and this comes up. "Like I've known everything else that goes on in your life!"

I can't believe him. I've never felt this angry before.

"You son of a b...!" I yell. I use the force of my power to flip him out of his chair before I reach into his pocket and grab the locket. I run out of the library after that.

I storm up the street towards the forest, angry as ever. I snap my fingers and I teleport deep into the woods. I keep hiking until I know I'm lost and no one will be able to find me as easily. Now, I have some time to myself.

I find a rock and sit down. The tears come flooding from my eyes. So I really was going to be the Spawn of Satan, or Hades or whatever! Traded to the Devil himself!

I had just started trusting my dad, he pulls this stunt. Why can't I have a normal family life with a normal father?! What else have I done to deserve this? Why does everything have to be so damn complicated?!

I weep in anger as the sounds of the forest do little to comfort me. I begin launching purple balls of light at random trees, burning holes in them and whatever else my magic wants.

Look at me! I think to myself. A pure monster! Hades would've been a better father than my dad!

I start to wonder how I didn't end up living in the Underworld. I assume when my mom jumped into the portal, she escaped Hades' influence. Maybe Hades never knew about the pregnancy and therefore never asked. The king would've been the perfect cover for that... Maybe no one asked.

Suddenly, a howl echoes through the clearing. I see the dark reddish fur and the blue eyes of Mason in his wolf form. He comes over to me and knocks me over, licking my face.

"Hi," I say. I pet him, wishing he was human so I could kiss him and treat him like a human being. Clearly, he's not like Ruby, he wasn't born like this and he never wanted to be a wolf. Some deal with his dad went sour and Mason was forced into the pack.

"Sorry I ran off, but how much more complicated can my life get? I really want to go back to New York now, pretend this never happened,"

My dad materializes in front of me. Mason stands up and growls.

"What do you want?" I say, ready to leave again.

"Is an apology going to be sufficient?" he asks, leaning on his cane.

"There aren't enough apologies in the world for what you've put me through," I say.

"What would you like me to do? Go back in time and stop your mother from having you?"

"NO!" I say angrily. "I want to go one day where I'm not haunted by the crap you've done in the past and I want a safe place where I can raise this baby without the threats that constantly pop-up because of you. I'm sick and tired of this place, I'm ready to go home with Alisa! Leave everything behind"

I mean what I say, for the most part. Go back to the relatively normal life I had in New York, with friends, a job, and a boyfriend. Forget this ever happened and raise this baby without the constant threat of magic screwing up my life. Then again, my boyfriend is a werewolf and I've got these stupid powers. Plus, everyone in Storybrooke cares about me and I've never felt happier in my life. I'd be leaving the only real family I've ever had. Everything has to be ruined by him!

"I mean it! I'm done!" I bark to drive my point home. I lean against Mason's bulky form and wipe some tears from my eyes.

My dad says nothing at first. He approaches me with caution, Mason begins to pace in front of me, to protect me.

"Why does it seem that every time you make a mistake I end up paying for it?" I ask in frustration.

"It was never my intention to..."

"Have me I know!" I mutter.

"No, it was never my intention to bring suffering on you or your mother,"

"Really because you seemed to cause her a lot of heartbreak."

"What do you want from me Crystal?" he says gruffly.

"I want you to take responsibility for what you've done! First knocking my mom up, next planning to kill me, third selling my soul to the ruler Underworld..." I put my face in my hands so I don't have to look at him. He sits down next to me.

"Would you rather Belle's baby be taken instead?" he asks.

"Gawd no! Aren't there always loopholes in this stuff?"

"There is, but the thing you missed out on is that the deal was broken."

I look at him.

"What?"

"When we were in the Underworld I managed to break the deal... with Emma's help, of course, as she was the one who destroyed Hades. Now both you and Belle's baby are safe.

I tilt my head to the side. I look at the man who is my father. How flawed and annoying he's become and yet, he still cares for me. Loves me even. I can tell from his eyes that he hurts when I'm angry at him, so why does it seem that every time I try to get close to him I get clobbered?

"How about I make you a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" I ask suspiciously.

"A family deal," he says. "The first of its kind. I will help you get your, boyfriend back to normal and I won't keep any more secrets from you..."

"What's my end?"

"Learn to forgive me and stay here in Storybrooke," he answers.

"That sounds like the most selfless deal you've ever done," I say in surprise.

"There's a first time for everything," he says. He looks me in the eyes. "I love you, Crystal, I really do. You're my daughter. So far, my only daughter and I want to get to know you. Whenever I look at you, I'm reminded of Lilian, you have her passion and love too. I want you to be a part of my life. I want to be a good father for this new arrival because as you can tell, my track record isn't that good right now."

"That's for sure," I agree. He smiles at me.

I'm not sure if he means this or not, but it seems genuine. I've never seen this rather kind side to him, but maybe trolls are capable of change. If I'm honest with myself, I really want him to be a part of my life too. He and Belle are going to be the only grandparents my child will ever have and he's the only real family I have left. I also want a father figure in my life, I've felt the absence all my life and now may be my only chance to fill it. Every family has its demons, but it seems that mine has had more than its fair share. I guess I'm going to have to learn to live with them better. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, especially in Storybrooke.

"I think I can accept your deal," I say. I hold out my hand and we shake on it. But I'm not satisfied with the way we closed this deal. I pull him in for a "contract" hug and he returns it.

"I love you too Dad."


	29. Chapter 29: A Cure

Chapter 29: A Cure

I return to the library to the loving embrace of Belle and the others.

"Sorry..." I say. "I needed to cool down."

"We understand," David says.

"Plus I think the baby hormones are getting to her, " Alisa smirks

I glare at her. "Can we finish the memory?"

"Absolutely..." Gold says, his mood more positive than I've ever seen it.

He waves his hand over the dream catcher and over Mason's head again.

The memory picks up where it left off.

"The master no longer thinks that the Lord of the Underworld will have use of her powers, we, however, can benefit greatly from her abilities."

"How?" Mason asks. "Her powers come from the mortal enemy of the pack."

"That is true, however, the master has been brewing a great curse. A curse that will turn the tides on the world from which we came, where we can end all humanity and allow the Shadow Clan to dominate. Something that will be so powerful. There are various ingredients we need, but the major one is the power from a dark bloodline. There is, of course, a sacrifice to be made, mainly a life of the bloodline..."

"You can't have her!" Mason growls. "I won't let you near her!"

"How can you be near her if you are in wolf form? I'm sure she would flee willingly from you to us if she knew what you are."

"That's a lie!" Mason barks into the phone.

"Is it?" the voice crackles over the static. "See you for the monster you really are?"

"Shut up!" Mason yells.

"You are aware that the alpha controls the shifting of the pack?"

"Not when you've broken the bond!" Mason yells. "I have control of my changing."

"Not quite you see since the alpha is the one that changed you, once he tasted your blood, you are under his control, the same applies to all of the pack. Filtiarn is the one who controls everything. As easily as he can change to a human, he can change you back just as fast..."

"What are you implying?"

"You may be able to protect your girlfriend, but only in wolf form. You forget that Filt can gain control of you through any means necessary"

Mason is silent.

"What do you want?"

"You have the next twenty-four hours to decide. You either do as the brotherhood wants you to do or remain a wolf for the remainder of your life, which will not be long as the pack can easily find you."

The memory shows Mason giving me the final text for good-bye before he flees into the woods. His vision begins to shake as he shifts into wolf form.

I'm tearing up slightly. I reach over and hug Mason, which interrupts the memory.

"You did all this to save me?" I ask.

Mason nods.

"I think I love you even more," I say and I really mean it. He sacrificed everything so that I would be safe, he turned against his own kind.

The next few memories are flashes of his journey to Storybrooke. He swam most of the way to Maine to keep the dogs off his scent. There's an image of him arriving at Storybrooke and staring upon the town. He watches everyday life, hunting in the shadows and seeing life unfold without him. There are the moments of when he saw me again. I can feel the pain and sadness he felt when he couldn't tell me who he was. I see the risk he took when he leaped out of hiding to protect me from Rumple.

The dreamcatcher fades to black and we sit in silence.

David breaks the silence. "So the alpha controls his shifting..."

"Which leaves us with little hope of finding a cure..." I mutter, my heart sinking in my chest. Mason nuzzles me and whines what I think is an apology.

Belle begins looking through the shelves again. It's nice that she care so much about me not to give up so easily.

"There has to be something in this place about werewolf cures," she says.

Rumple gets up to join her. "Don't hurt yourself, sweetheart," he mutters.

"Can't Henry just write a cure?" Emma suggests.

"I don't know if I can," Henry shrugs. "There are some limits to what I can do, like writing to bring someone back to life."

Belle brings a book from one of the shelves, the title reads, _Slaying Savage Beasts_.

"What are your weaknesses anyways?" I ask Ruby and Granny.

"Silver mostly," is the answer.

"So the silver bullet thing really does work?" Alisa asks.

"For the most part, yes, and there are a few plants that we cannot stand. The trouble is I can't remember which ones," Granny nods.

Belle immediately marks her place in one section of the Savage beast book and goes back to the bookshelf. She finds a book about Botany and puts it on the table. She scrolls through the pages and finds what she needs.

"Apparently wolfsbane, mistletoe, ash leaves and rye grains are used to repel werewolves. Apparently they can't stand "

"That would explain my gluten intolerance," Ruby jokes.

"Silver is the surefire way of killing them. Also for some wolves, religious symbols are a weakness." Belle says.

"Like vampires?" Alisa asks.

Belle shrugs. "The problem is, these things only repel wolves or kill them, they don't cure."

"I don't think anyone has ever tried to cure a werewolf before..." Granny says.

"So...I might have to invent one...?" I ask.

"Is that possible?" Emma asks turning to Rumple.

Rumple shrugs. "I've never tried it myself... to invent something beneficial that is."

"Can it be done?" I ask.

"Hook invented one once..." Henry points out.

I consider it carefully. "Well if these things repel wolves, could it repel the alpha's control?"

Everyone is silent

"Well..." I say, getting up. "Let's get started."

...

I spend the next few days in my dad's shop stewing tirelessly to mix all the werewolf weakening ingredients that could bring Mason back to his human form. I know that without the alpha being dead, there's no way Mason can return to human form on his own, but I'm hoping that this amulet I'm making and repel the alpha's control and allow Mason to be human again. I acquire all the ingredients and begin boiling them in a thick black cauldron my dad found for me. It's taken me what feels like a thousand tries to get the amount of ingredients right. Also, creating the shape of the necklace and chain with my magic in mid-air, which took a lot of practice. I've tried testing them on Mason, but nothing has happened. I am basically inventing something to cure werewolves which, as far as I know, has never been done before.

Emma comes into the store to see me.

"How's it going?" she asks, leaning over the counter.

"Trying to create an amulet from scratch that could quite possibly kill my boyfriend or free him from the alpha's control... How do you think it's going?!"

Emma steps back in surprise.

I look up at her. "Sorry, the stress is getting to me."

"You shouldn't stress too much, it's bad for the baby."

"I know," I mutter angrily, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. The cauldron sits in front of me, boiling under a fire my father set. "The things we do for love."

Emma nods.

"What are you using?" Emma asks.

"Well, wolfsbane and mistletoe, ground up rye grains and ash leaves. All these are meant to repel a werewolf so maybe, this can help repel the alpha's control... I'm putting this mixture in the centre," I sigh. "I just want him to be human again."

Emma nods and leaves the store as Henry comes in with the storybook. He opens it and begins asking me questions about what I was doing and how I was making it, recording it the book for future reference.

"I just hope this is the only wolf I have to cure," I mutter. The fumes and heat, plus morning sickness and hormones are seriously messing with my head. I add the last ingredient, a sample of my father's blood and a bit of my own. I assume that the magical properties of each can enhance the effects.

Finally, I use my magic to mould the amulet in mid-air, chain, and centre. Soon it is in the shape of a cross, with a red crystal in the centre containing the blood and other repellents. I hold it in the air for a few moments and then I hang it on a nearby hook to let it cool. I clean up everything and put the fire out.

"You think it will work?" Henry asks.

I shrug and pull my hair back up. "A thousandth time's the charm."

I drink some water and wait until the necklace cools.

"Can I watch?" Henry asks.

I shrug, "You can, but he might be naked when he shifts back. If this is anything like Twilight."

"Maybe I'll sit this one out..." Henry says quickly. "I'll just write about it in the book anyways."

I nod and give a small smirk. If this does work, I'd like a little private reunion anyways.

Once the necklace is cooled, I grab it.

"Good luck," Henry calls to me.

"I need more than luck" I mutter.

Mason is waiting outside. He's pacing outside the store, I assume that he's protecting me, even though there is no imminent danger. He stops when I approach. I hold up the amulet.

"Let's walk," I whisper.

Mason and I walk side by side towards the toll bridge together. He keeps his head down the entire way. I really don't want to instill false hope in either of us again. We've tried this so many times already, only to be disappointed. The last few times, a small cloud of smoke formed around him, causing his fur to shed a bit and his body almost go back to a human shape for awhile, before the smoke vanished and we were back at square one. That's when I decided to add my father and my blood to the mixture, I assume the repellents needed more power to work.

"Nervous huh?" I ask.

He nods and whines.

"A thousandth time's the charm," I say.

We make it to a wooded area and I stand in front of him. I begin to pray as Mason kneels down so I can put the necklace on his furry chest.

He winces as the thing is placed around his neck. I can understand as this stuff is meant to repel his species.

I put the amulet around his neck and then wave my hand to activate the centre.

I stand back.

At first, nothing happens. I begin to get anxious and worried. I start running through the different ingredients, did I put enough in? Is it powerful enough?

A white/red cloud of smoke begins around his body. It thickens to the point where he vanishes. I panic at first, thinking I've done something wrong, but then I remember this is how Ruby and Granny change back. The smoke swirls in an unusual pattern. I just hold my breath and pray for the best.

The cloud dissipates.

Mason stands up, fully human again and naked. I run to him and embrace him. We kiss so hard, I swear we're going to fall over into the grass.

"I missed you so much!" I cry, holding him, not caring that he is nude.

"I missed you too," he murmurs.

His voice! His beautiful British voice is back. Something I missed so much. I cry harder, so happy to see him in human form again. I don't' think I ever want to let go of him.

"So as long as I wear this, I'm free of the alpha's control," Mason breathes. I can hear the relief in his voice.

"Yes!" I say. I notice the red marks appearing on his chest, where the silver touches his skin. "I'm sorry if it burns you."

"It's worth it for me to hold you in my arms again," Mason mumbles softly

I'm so overwhelmed with happiness that I just hold him for a long time, never wanting this moment to end.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hug you again," I say through the tears.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you, but if you saw what I was..."

I turn his face toward me so we lock eyes. "It's in the past, let's focus on the future. Besides, if you could love me as a monster, I could love you. Also, have you met my dad? We're also having a kid, so we'll be one big family of monsters..."

He laughs and kisses me on the forehead.

"We have so much to do..." I say.

Mason puts his hand on my abdomen.

"We're having a baby!" he says, so excited.

"Yes, we are..."

We kiss one more time before I lean back. Reality begins to set in again.

"Let's get you some clothes and you really need a shower,"


	30. Chapter 30: Moving On

I wake up and roll over. Instead of finding an empty space, Mason is asleep next to me. I can't believe he's back and we can finally have a chance to start our relationship over again. No secrets, no obstacles (for the most part), we can be together and get ready for this baby. It feels like the first day of the rest of my life.

I can't stop looking at his gorgeous face, ever so quietIy I check the medallion. His skin is red and irritated underneath it, but he's still sound asleep. I know he will have to take a few days off in wolf form in order to heal. We agreed that he would not wear it continuously, this stuff was meant to hurt or kill him. I'm just amazed I was able to cure him at all, fight off the alpha's control.

His eyes open to the morning light.

"Good morning handsome..." I smile.

"Good morning gorgeous," he smiles back. I lean over and kiss him. He runs his hand through my hair and pulls me towards him. The same fire I've always felt for him is back and burning stronger than ever. I practically climb on top of him, kissing his bare chest and wrapping my arms around him.

Eventually, I have to break us apart.

"Easy Tiger," I say. "The last time we did this, I've had to buy looser clothing."

"You're already up in the duff, so what's the difference if I do this..." He rolls me onto my back and kisses my neck. I can't help but laugh, I try to push him away.

"Duff?" I say, raising my eyebrow.

"It's Australian for pregnant," he smirks.

"I thought you were British," I giggle.

"Would you prefer knocked up?" Mason laughs in his best American accent.

"How about pregnant?" I giggle.

Mason puts his hand on my abdomen, which will bulge with the growth of our baby.

"Do you think it can hear us yet?" he asks.

"I doubt it, I'm still in my first trimester so I don't think it has ears yet."

"I just can't believe we're going to be parents!"

"Me neither and for awhile I was scared I would have to raise it on my own,"

Mason leans in and kisses me. "You understand why I had to leave and cut ties."

I nod. "Yes, but you realize that I'm just as dangerous and I could easily protect myself."

"I know..." Mason sighs. "I should have been honest with you."

"Me too," I say. "I guess neither of us is perfect, but let's move on from it."

Mason kisses me in agreement. He leans back. "I could lie here all day, it's been awhile since I've slept in a bed."

"I know, I want to too, but we can't" I start to get up. "We have a lot of work to do."

I mean what I say. I talked to Tiana the other day and she's agreed to at least talk to Naveen. After that, we're going back to New York with Alisa, to tie up the loose ends of our lives before "officially" moving to Storybrooke. We also need to see Brendan, get him out of the custody of his neglectful mother and abusive nanny. We need to get Alisa's boyfriend, Raymond, to bring the situation to court and grant the parental rights back to Tiana and Naveen. Alisa also decided to give us some privacy and she moved into _Granny's_ motel for the rest of the week.

I get up and start to pick my outfit for the day.

"How did you ever get this place?" Mason asks.

"It's been empty ever since the first curse was cast and I decided since I needed a place to stay, I bought if off of Regina's old assistant, Sydney Glass."

"Who's that?"

"He was her magic mirror back in The Enchanted Forest and before that, he was a genie in a lamp," I explain. Mason smiles. "I'll introduce you to everyone eventually."

"What makes you think I don't know everyone yet, I have been living out in the woods around the town,"

"Let's try something more formal, like a handshake, instead of licking their faces and asking for a belly rub," I smile.

"That sounds a bit better," Mason grins.

I pause for a moment.

"It's funny isn't it?" I ask.

"What?"

"That we're talking about characters from fairy tales that we were told all our lives were imaginary and didn't exist... and here we are...talking about how I bought an apartment from the magic mirror and that my dad is Rumpelstiltskin."

"My father always seemed to try to live realistically, despite the fact that he got all his money from a werewolf."

"Yeah, it was mentioned in the memory, but it was kind of vague. What happened with that?"

Mason's face goes serious and he swallows hard.

There's a knock downstairs.

"That's probably Naveen. Don't think we've escaped this conversation," I warn. "We promised no more secrets."

"I will love, I promise, but one thing at a time," he nods.

I shower and get changed, after the usual bout of morning sickness. This time, Mason is here to hold my hair back.

"I hate this..." I mumble angrily, rinsing my mouth out. "When we're in New York, I want to buy some pregnancy books. I know Snow can give me advice and all, but I can't just take her word on it."

"Agreed," Mason says.

I clean up and come downstairs. I open the door to Naveen. He's a lot cleaner than the last time I saw him. He's shaved, he's wearing fresh clothes, his hair is combed and even gelled too. I can see why Tiana fell for him, he is a good looking man.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," he says, obviously nervous.

"I texted Tiana, she'll be over soon."

"Okay," Naveen says.

I step aside so he can come in. He looks around what will be the restaurant. Tiana has started drywalling and painting the interior. She's also ordered all her large kitchen appliances, she expects them soon.

"Wow," Naveen says.

"What?" I ask.

"So Tiana's finally getting her restaurant?"

"That's her plan," I shrug. "She hopes that running a business will give her a better chance of getting Brendan back."

"Right," Naveen nods. He begins pacing back and forth.

"Which also means that you will also have to get a better job, mostly for paying child support," I add.

"I actually have a good job," Naveen says. "I work at the veternarian clinic on the edge of town. Mostly with amphibians and reptiles."

"So why do you live in a crappy apartment?" I ask.

"I spend a lot of my money on my instruments, getting them repaired and stuff,"

"Well no more, if you want to be a good father, you're going to have to save the money."

The yellow truck pulls up in front of the building.

"That's her," I say. "I guess I should give you two some space."

"Please don't go..." Naveen begs. "There's no knowing what she might do, you might have to call the cops."

"For how many times she's told me she's wanted to strangle you, I think that's a good idea," I say, I sit

"I'm just glad your boyfriend is a werewolf and you have magic powers," Naveen says.

Tiana opens the door and literally, the entire neighbourhood goes quiet. She lays her eyes on Naveen for the first time in five years. I can feel my hands burning slightly

"Naveen..." Tiana says.

"Tia..." Naveen swallows.

"Please call me Tiana, we have a professional relationship and that's all it's ever going to be."

Naveen sighs.

"Okay..." he says. "Tiana, I guess this is extremely overdue but I'm sorry."

Tiana stands across the room, her arms folded.

Naveen swallows hard.

"I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you when you needed me most. I'm sorry I gave our baby up and I'm sorry I broke your heart. I was a jerk, an idiot, selfish, stupid, anything you can think that I was, I am..."

Tiana raises her eyebrow. I can see slight satisfaction in her face.

"You were a jerk and I still think you are one, but if you can prove to me that you really have changed and you aren't that 'poor little rich boy' anymore, I will accept your apology."

"And to do that, I have to get our son back," Naveen says.

"Exactly," Tiana says. "But until then, you have to earn your forgiveness. We have to act like responsible parents and get Brendan back. He deserves a lot more than what he has."

Naveen nods. He holds out his hand for a handshake. "I understand Tiana,"

Tiana is reluctant to do it, but I shoot her a look to be mature and just move on now. Their son is more important than their past. Tiana grabs his hand and shakes it hard.

That was easier than I thought it would be and no need for cops either. I hope deep down, they still have some kind of connection there. They really did love each other at one point, according to Tiana, but that seems to have dried up now. They can be mutual friends and parents

"Okay, " I say. "Let's get started."

...

The following week, the cars and truck are packed for the road ahead. Mason, Alisa, Ruby and I are in one car, while Rumple, Belle, Emma, Hook, and Henry are in the other. Tiana and Naveen are in the truck, unfortunate how that worked out, but I know they need to be in the same place for a certain amount of time without either of them going off the deep end.

Snow, David, baby Neal, Regina, Granny, Violet and a few others come to see us off.

"Do you have everything you need?" Regina asks, packing something into his backpack.

"I'm fine Mom," Henry moans, rolling his eyes, acting like a typical teenager.

"Don't give me that, if it were up to me, you wouldn't be going at all," Regina retorts. She pulls Henry into an embrace. "Be safe and stay with everyone."

"I know Mom," Henry sighs.

"Stop that, the last time you went to New York, you were unsupervised."

"I had Violet with me,"

Violet walks over to Henry and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll miss you," she says.

"I'll miss you too, I'll bring you back some souvenirs."

"What are those exactly?" Violet asks.

Henry smiles and hugs Violet once more before climbing into the back of Emma's Volkswagon bug.

Emma meanwhile is also being fussed over by her mother, while David holds Neal.

"Mom, everything is going to be fine," Emma reassures Snow.

"I'll miss you," Snow says.

"I'll miss you too, it's only for two weeks at the most," Emma says.

Hook, comes up behind Emma and hugs her.

"You won't have to worry Snow, I'll protect her," he says with a devilish smile.

David frowns. "You do any more than that and you will answer to me," he threatens.

Emma turns red. She hugs her mother and then kisses her baby brother and hugs her father.

"I'll take care of everything while you're gone," David says, wearing the sheriff's belt.

Eudora is handing Tiana something from the driver's seat. It's a basket of goods.

"Please give him some," Eudora says. "And tell him there's plenty more when he comes home. Tell him Grandma is waiting for him."

"I will Mama," Tiana says.

"And give him this..." She pulls something out of her coat pocket. It's a small flute. "It was your Daddy's and he wanted his first grandchild to have it."

Tears fill Tiana's eyes.

"Oh Mama," she says before leaning out the window and hugging her mother. Naveen has his eyes out the opposite window, trying not to ruin the moment with his presence.

Ruby sits in the back with Alisa, extremely excited about what's coming next. She had never been outside of Storybrooke, figuratively speaking, and was eager to get going.

"Now Ruby I packed a sweater in your suitcase and there's extra cash in the left compartment," Granny says, wringing her hands.

Ruby smiles at her Grandma. She can tell Granny is nervous about letting her little girl go. Nobody really asked Ruby to come along, or Rumple or Belle or Hook or even Henry, but they were all eager to see new things

"I'll be fine Grandma," Ruby says, trying to act sad, but I know she's really excited. She hugs her grandma through the open window and then sits back, ready for anything.

Rumple sits in the front seat of Emma's car, Belle in the back, next to Henry and Hook. I can tell that Belle is excited. It's her first time out of Storybrooke as well, She had a pile of books on her lap and she looks ready for anything.

"Oh, that reminds me, Belle, I have something for you..." I say, reaching into one of my bags.I dig into my bag and hand her a new camera.

"What is it?" she asks, examining it.

"It's a camera to capture your experiences," I explain.

"Oh thank you Crystal," Belle says, hugging me through the open window.

"Henry will teach you how to use it," I tell her, before hugging everyone and climbing into the car myself.

"Be safe everyone," Snow says, waving while cuddling Neal.

I start up the car. Mason gives me a kiss on the cheek before I signal to Emma and Tiana to follow me. I watch as the tiny town disappears in my rear view mirror and I can't help but feel a little sad, like I'm leaving a piece of myself behind. I remind myself that we will be back soon.

Storybrooke is our home and we can't leave it behind.


	31. Chapter 31: Collateral Damage

Chapter 31: Collateral Damage

"Is this really how big this city is?" Belle gasps. She's talking through Emma's cell phone, most likely gazing at all the amazing scenery. We've just got into New York and the traffic is horrendous, we're basically at a stand still. One of the few things I actually missed when I moved to Storybrooke. This doesn't seem to bother the others, it gives Belle more time to absorb the scenery of such a big city.

"Yes Belle, welcome to the magical land of New York City," I say, Mason holding the phone up on speaker while I drive.

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of," Alisa adds from the back.

"It's so beautiful, there are so many fascinating things to see, look at those yellow cars,"

I hear Henry explain that those are taxi cabs.

"There's also a fantastic library you'll have to visit too," I add. I smirk to myself. "Be prepared to be very tired Dad."

I can just picture his expression and him groaning. It's not easy walking around such a big city with a cane. His last few experiences in New York were not great, the first trying to find Neal and getting himself stabbed and poisoned by Hook, the second being right after Belle banished him over the town line and he went after the Queens of Darkness. Hopefully, this time, it'll be a second honeymoon for the two, probably their last solo trip before the baby comes.

Belle continues to babble on about the height of the amazing skyscrapers, I can see through the rear-view mirrors that the other passengers are a getting a little tired of it. I also have Alisa doing surveillance on Tiana and Naveen, who are beside us, making sure they haven't killed each other. They seem rather calm, not hostile, just bored with the traffic.

Emma's voice eventually comes over the speakerphone. "So how do you want to do this?" I assume she wants some sort of plan.

"You guys can basically do whatever you want," I shrug. "Take Belle and Ruby sightseeing, go out for a romantic dinner with Hook, whatever. The landlord stuff shouldn't take too long, I have a cheque ready for my last month's rent and the daycare stuff can't happen until Monday so..."

Alisa clears her throat to remind me.

"And I have to do some fixing with Raymond. So, it's anybody's game... "

The traffic begins to move a little bit, edging just a bit closer.

"There must be so many things to do..." Belle says in the background.

"Yes Belle, I'll give you a list of things that you should see," I say. "New York is a great place to try new things."

Another chunk of time lapses before we finally pull by Times Square and Broadway. Ruby is in the back seat gazing at all the amazing sights. The lights of Broadway flash in front of us advertising _Matilda_ , _The Lion King_ , and _Wicked_.

"What's _Wicked_ about?" Ruby asks.

"Yes," Belle says over the phone. "I've never heard of it!"

"It's basically a version of _The Wizard of Oz_ where we learn about the Wicked Witch of the West's past."

"Do you think Zelena and Dorothy would like it?" Ruby asks.

"Dorothy, no because she's hardly featured in the play at all and I highly doubt that Zelena wants to be portrayed like this, singing female empowering ballads. She'd probably hate that her life was turned into cheesy song and dance numbers."

"The _Defying Gravity_ ballad is good, though," Alisa says. "I have it on my iPod, here listen,"

Alisa sticks in one earphone and Ruby puts in the other. When they're done, Ruby's jaw has dropped.

"I'm uplifted..." she says softly. "I like this version of Zelena a lot better."

"Actually in the book and play, she's known as Elphaba," I clarify.

"That's something she would hate," Emma smirks. "Finding out her story is completely wrong, including her name."

"I wish she would've named her baby that instead, it's very nice," Ruby adds.

"Well, Rumple and I might, if it's a girl," Belle chirps.

Dad speaks up then, "I'd prefer not to have our child named after a green skinned singing witch,"

I smirk. "Got a problem with musical theater dad? What would you have named me Dad, if you were around for my birth?"

"I thought maybe after my mother or your mother's mother, it would have been up to her..."

"If you hadn't planned to eat my heart and hand me over to Hades," I add. Once in awhile, I'll play the guilt card to remind him of what he's done. Hopefully, he can learn from his mistakes and become a better father to Baby Number Three.

This statement also seems to shut everybody up in the other car. I shut my phone off while we wait in traffic.

Eventually, we pull up to a fairly nice hotel down by Fifth Avenue where all the action is.

We park and I register everyone for rooms. One for Dad and Belle, one for Emma and Hook, one for myself and Mason, Tiana, and Naveen, and Ruby and Henry. I can tell Tiana is not pleased by my idea.

"Can you please swap me with Henry?" Tiana begs as I sign the forms at the front desk.

"Fine," I mutter, I figure they'd had enough togetherness for awhile now.

Everyone brings their luggage until we're all on the same floor. Dad, of course, wanted to teleport it, but I told him that as long as we were here, we'd behave like mortals.

Afterward, we all split off. Belle has a map spread out and she's circling all the places she wants to visit. I look over at my dad and he winces. This is the consequence of marrying such a curious woman, but that's okay. I love Belle, I see her more as a sister than a mother figure, but I hope to God that the baby turns out more like her than my dad.

Alisa, Mason and I climb back into my car and leave the others to their own devices.

"It'll just be a little while before we get to my apartment," Alisa says once we're on the road again.

"Do you want to call Raymond?" I ask

Alisa turns red and shrugs. "He probably won't want to talk to me, maybe you should do it...?"

"Maybe we should just meet at a cafe so I can explain everything to him," I say. "Just text him and say that something important has come up."

...

A little while later, we sit in a cafe, steaming mugs of coffee in front of each of us. Alisa's foot goes up and down, something she always does when she's nervous. She keeps staring at the door and then looking down at her coffee.

Eventually, Raymond walks through the door.

His brown eyes light up in surprise when he sees me. He looks a little like Naveen, with the dark eyes, but he has black hair and he's always in a suit because of his job at the law office. He's just an intern right now and he's working hard to get his law degree.

"Crystal..." he gasps. "You're okay."

"Yes Raymond, I am, come and sit down and I'll explain it."

Raymond sits across from me and Mason, he's a little uncomfortable sitting next to Alisa.

"I...uh...bought you some coffee," Alisa offers, shoving the cup towards him.

"Dark roast, two creams and..."

"Three sugars," Alisa smiles. "I never forget."

Raymond manages a small smile before turning to me.

I give Alisa's boyfriend a run down of what happened, minus the magic part, we are in public after all and he'd probably have the same reaction as Alisa did, scaring him away even more. I tell him about my break-up, my "vacation," finding my family, moving to the town, my pregnancy, and re-uniting with Mason. He nods and sips his coffee, listening intently.

"So I'm really sorry of how much stress I put on you guys, I know it was selfish and harsh, I'm just hoping that you can forgive me," I finish.

Raymond stays silent for a little while. He takes a few more sips of his coffee and continuously looks at Alisa. I can tell she's holding her breath, waiting for him to say something.

"I forgive you, Crystal, only if..."

"Yes?" I ask.

"Alisa will forgive me for buckling under all the pressure. I was a coward. I should've been stronger and I'm sorry Lis...can you forgive me?"

Alisa looks over at me and bites her lip, trying to keep herself from smiling. I can tell she wants to milk it out, make him beg for forgiveness, but I shoot her a look, not to make this harder than it already is.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Alisa squeals. She leaps off the chair and into Raymond's lap, her arms wrapped tightly around him. The force of her jump causes her to spill the coffees and the volume of her voice attracts some unwanted attention. Alisa and Raymond are locking lips and really getting into it. Mason grabs my hand and pecks me on the cheek.

"I'm proud of you darling..." he whispers.

I clear my throat to break up the scene unfolding in front of us.

Alisa has tears in her eyes, Raymond, too. "I missed you so much!" Alisa says.

"I missed you too sweetheart,"

"Let's never break up again, agreed?" she asks.

Raymond kisses her.

"Agreed."

...

Mason and I leave the two love birds soon after, giving them some much-needed privacy. I hug Alisa extra hard and thank her for her forgiveness. She thanks me too before she and Raymond go back to their apartment. I drive myself and Mason to my apartment complex and go into my landlord's office.

Harleen Harper was a divorced woman of 40, this apartment complex was all she could get out of her divorce. She was a no-nonsense type of woman who smoked rather frequently, slept for most of the day and hated when the rent was late. Fortunately for both of us, I was a rather good tenant and was never late with the rent. She did, however, have to make a few scenes with a couple of the other people in my building, and that was never pretty. The only problem she ever had with me was the unusual power outages that occurred in my apartment. She's very surprised to see me. I tell her a story that is half true and half fiction, she's always been a bit skeptical of me in general. Mason holds my hand the entire time. I told her that I snuck back and had some friends help me move everything out when no one was around. I tell her Mason and I are moving out of the city and I hand her the cheque for the last month's rent and apologize for disappearing so suddenly.

She frowns as she processes my story, possibly suspicious, but then shrugs.

"Thanks for coming back, next time just call okay?" Harleen says.

"I will," I smile. I reach out to shake her hand. "Thank you for letting me live here."

"No problem, but now that you're gone, maybe I can finally have the power fixed."

Mason squeezes my hand and we turn to leave, trying not to smile, knowing full well why the power always went out.

...

Mason and I go out for a romantic dinner at one of our favourite restaurants. We laugh and smile, feeling much happier now.

"I'm glad most of that is over," I say in relief, sipping some water as I can't have alcohol with the baby.

"As am I," Mason says. "All we need to do is get the stuff from my apartment..." he lowers his voice. "Preferably by teleportation to make it go faster and then we can start our new life in Storybrooke."

I smile from ear to ear. I can just picture our happy life there, raising our child. A quiet town, surrounded by loved ones; a normal existence and stability, something I've wanted for so long.

We go back to our hotel after such a long day. We curl up together, Mason with his shirt off. I can see the red rash where my necklace is touching his skin. It's not a pleasant sight. I feel guilt fill my stomach, I know it's painful for him. He does his best to hide it, but I know it hurts. These substances were meant to kill him, not help, but as long as the alpha has control of Mason, he'll have to wear it.

I place my hand underneath the silver metal, creating a small barrier to give him relief. Mason lets out a sigh of relief, my cool fingers giving soothing his burning and angry skin.

"I wish you didn't have to the wear that," I whisper.

"I know," Mason says. "I do too."

"What are we going to do about that?" I ask.

"Not really sure," Mason says, turning the volume down on the TV so we can talk a bit more. "Even though I've been in the clan since I was a child, I still don't know how the connection of the pack works."

"And Ruby and Granny can't help because even this pack is mysterious to them too..." I mutter in frustration. I honestly don't want the man I love to be in pain all the time and he can't wear the necklace forever and ever. And what if the pack comes in search of him? What if he can't control himself with the alpha's influence? What if they find Storybrooke? I shake the thoughts from my mind, a cold chill going down my spine. I feel myself tear up a bit.

"I wish I could just fix you," I whimper.

"I know darling," Mason mutters, kissing the side of my head. "But even magic has its limits."

"Didn't seem to for the longest time growing up," I sigh. I rub the skin of his bare chest as a way of soothing it. I lean up and kiss him gently, our lips not parting for a few moments.

"Our world is a mysterious one," Mason whispers. "Nothing ever stays the same for very long, much like the world around us and yet we hate it when something changes."

I lean my head on his shoulder. "Most of the time it's because something is trying to kill us..."

Mason chuckles and turns off the TV. We curl up together and fall asleep like this, wondering what would change tomorrow...and if it might try to kill us.


	32. Chapter 32: Meeting Their Son

The following morning, Mason and I wake up earlier than usual. We wait in the lobby for the others to come downstairs so we can all go to breakfast.

Eventually, they begin trickling downstairs, bleary eyed and moving slowly towards us. I smirk when I see my dad and Henry, who come down first.

"So," I say to my dad. "Sick of New York yet?"

Dad grumbles at sits in a chair across from us. Henry sits on the arm of the couch that Mason and I are sitting on.

"Belle wanted to do everything in one day," the teen sighs. "We went down to Times Square, took a tour bus down to the harbor, got on a boat to go see the Statue of Liberty, went up to the crown. We went to the WTC memorial and up the Empire State Building. Mom and Hook went out for dinner and Ruby dragged me to see a Broadway show."

Henry sighs. "I'd never thought I'd hate show tunes so much. Plus Naveen snores..."

"Hey, it was your decision to come to New York with us," I say unapologetically.

"I'm beginning to regret that," Henry mumbles. He opens his phone and texts Violet. I pat him on the shoulder in comfort.

Eventually, everyone else comes downstairs. Belle is so eager to show me the pictures she took with her new camera, all the things she learned from the tours and will not shut up about everything little detail of the Big Apple she's seen. I can tell Dad is trying to hide his exhaustion. I lean over at one point and say, "You married her."

I'm actually secretly hoping that their baby turns out like Belle; happy, smart, good-natured, and curious. The one thing I'm sure all of us are hoping is that the baby does not have magic and doesn't turn out like his or her's father. I have the same hopes for my baby, the only problem is, this baby might also be a werewolf... and I thought I was a mutant.

We go to a really good breakfast restaurant in town and talk about what happened yesterday. It feels like a real surreal family environment, something I've wanted since I was little.

"So how was dinner last night Emma?" I ask, taking a drink of juice. "Where'd you go?"

"I think it was the _Barbetta_ ," she answers. "Really class place, then we went to the end of Manhattan island, Hook really wanted to see the harbour and we walked along the shoreline and watched the sun go down behind New Jersey."

"Sounds really romantic," I smile.

"Aye, it was and a nice break from all the touristing we did," Hook says.

I snort. "Sorry Killian, it's touring or tourist,"

"As Henry would say, 'whatever' Crystal."

I shoot Emma a look and then back at Hook. "Don't ever say that again Kil, modern slang is not your thing,"

"Not even close," Henry says, eating some bacon. "In fact, none of it works for any of you, so don't even try it."

We laugh.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Ruby asks.

Belle pulls out a map of New York, which is covered in red circles of places she wants to go.

"You had to ask," I mutter.

"I'd really like what is known as the Crysler Building, and then what New Yorkers refer to as the Met, the art museum, and then, of course, the New York Library, as well as...what is the word, Frump Towers...?"

"That's Trump towers," I correct. "And the only thing to see there is his really bad toupee."

"I've heard that this Trump man is very powerful and his campaign to become the most powerful man in the United States; I would certainly like to make his acquaintance and exchange thoughts with him on domination," my dad says.

"Dad..." I say sternly. "If you and Donald Trump ever met, it might be the end of the world as we know it."

"Besides," Henry adds. "Why would you want a needy politician to help you? You're already capable of taking over the world by yourself."

"Henry don't give him ideas," I snap. I turn to my step-mother. "Please make sure you keep him under control. I don't want World War Three to start between him and Trump."

Belle nods. I smile and finish eating my breakfast. I look over at Emma, Hook and Henry's faces. They are clearly not thrilled by the idea of spending another day with Belle the tourist. I pull out some money and count up how much it would cost for three tickets.

"Would Henry, Killian and Emma rather go to a baseball game?" I ask. I figure that if Emma and Hook do get married someday, it can be some form of family bonding, plus I won't have to listen to Henry gripe about being stuck with Ruby and Belle all day.

"What is that?" Killian asks. "I've never heard of it?"

"It's America's favorite past-time," I explain. I point out a few men in baseball attire. "It's an excuse to get drunk and yell loudly at strangers."

I think the drunk part appeals to Hook a little bit.

"It's a sport, men throw balls at each other and their opponents hit them with bats and run around the bases," Henry adds.

"I hardly see the appeal of such a pointless form of entertainment," Hook says.

"Welcome to reality, Kil," I say. "But it's either a ball game or another day of running around the city."

Hook looks over at Belle and my father, the dislike for my father is still there and the annoyance of being dragged all around the city again is all over his face. I hand the money to Emma.

"Take your time," I grin.

After breakfast, I leave my dad, his wife, and Ruby to their own devices, Emma, Hook, and Henry head towards Yankees stadium and Tiana, Naveen, Mason and I get ready to head to the daycare. I can tell Tiana is nervous, she compulsively rubs her hands together as if to keep warm. Naveen also is fairly tense, he keeps clenching and unclenching his jaw. I can't blame them at all. They are about to meet their son, whom they have never met or seen in 5 years. There must be so much running through their minds, guilt, anger, sadness, the whole deal.

I have to admit that I'm nervous myself. I mean I didn't exactly leave on the best note from the daycare. I assume that most of the kids are probably afraid of me now...unless they believe that sonic weapons testing theory, which they probably do. Some might be angry at me for leaving and not coming back, especially Amanda and Brendan. I was just starting to make progress with him when Mason dumped me and I ended up losing control. I'm sure Bridges isn't too happy either, the fact that I outright abandoned her in a time of crisis. I do love this job, but it's clear that I don't belong in this world, none of us do. We're fish out of the water. I can't have something else like my powers putting the kids in danger. I'm going to quit properly, say goodbye to the kids and help Tiana and Naveen get their son back.

Mason can tell that I'm upset. He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it in comfort. I smile at him before taking off down the road.

We pull up to the daycare. It feels so weird to be back here, especially after a month of rehabilitation and self-discoveries. It looks the same as it always has.

"There it is," I say quietly.

"It's a nice place," Naveen says, trying to break the awkward silence.

I turn to the mother of the group. "Tiana, you realize that you can't just go up to him and automatically tell him that you're his mother."

"Why not?!" she practically shouts.

"Because it will only confuse and scare the poor kid," I answer justly. "You need to take it slow, say hello first and introduce yourself as a friend."

"What are we going to do about the abuse?" Naveen asks.

"We need to get some proof that it's there and then we need to go to the courts and have you two reclaim your parenting rights." I know this is going to be a long and complicated process, we have to show the courts that Brendan deserves to be with his real parents and their signatures were forged. "We need to take it one step at a time, first by meeting your son."

We all climb out of my car and walk towards the center. As we go down the hall, I can hear the sounds of talking and laughter, sounds that bring me joy and make me smile. Happy kids at play.

I knock on the door.

Bridges come to the door. Her jaw practically drops to the floor when she sees me.

"Crystal..." She says. I can tell she's having a hard time finding words. "You're back."

She stands in the doorway, clearly reluctant to let me inside again.

"Are you...are you okay?" Bridges asks. "The sonic blast did some damage to the aquarium."

"I'm fine..." I sigh. "I'm sorry Bridges, I had a family emergency and freaked out. I nearly had a nervous breakdown so I needed some time to relax. But I'm not here to beg for my job back. I'm here to resign properly and we also have some other business to attend to."

"I thought you had no family," Bridges says angrily, her eyes squint at me suspiciously.

I decide to be as honest as possible. "I recently found my father and he wanted to get back in contact with me and I had some relationship turbulence."

"That is still no excuse for abandoning the children in a time of great fear."

"I know there isn't, but I'm relocating to Maine and you won't ever hear from me again."

Bridges is doing her best to hide a satisfied smile. She never did like me. The smile makes me slightly mad, I want to use my magic on her for a little revenge. Then I remember the kids and how I promised myself I wouldn't use magic against people that weren't an actual threat.

"I think it is best if you leave now before..."

"Crisi!" I hear. Amanda comes right up and hugs me, clearly the event at the aquarium has long been forgotten. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Amanda," I say, I feel myself tear up slightly, happy to be back with the kids.

"Why did you leave?" the little girls asks.

"I had a bad day and I needed to take a vacation," I say gently.

"Who are they Crisi?" Amanda asks, looking at the visitors.

"Amanda, this is my boyfriend Mason,"

"Ewww!" Amanda squeaks in typical childish fashion.

"And these are my friends, Tiana and Naveen..."

"Like the Disney movie?!" the child's eyes light up happily.

I swallow. "Yes, just like the Disney movie."

"Did you turn into frogs?" Amanda asks Tiana.

"N-no," Tiana says smiling. Which we know is not true, but one thing at a time.

"What are they doing here?" Amanda asks.

"They're here to visit," I explain.

"Oh, did you bring us a snack?" the five-year-old asks. Obviously, her expectations are that everything will go back to normal now and I'll continue working here.

"Not today sweetheart,"

"Awwww," the girl says looking rather disappointed, even sad.

I feel guilty and since I left so suddenly and without a goodbye, it wouldn't be fair for me to deprive them of some consistency. I glance over at Mason and pull him aside. I hand him some money from my purse.

"Can you go and buy some kind of treat for the kids?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know, maybe some oatmeal cookies, something with a little nutrition in it and it won't cause a massive sugar high,"

"Alright," Mason nods. I kiss him on the cheek and Amanda responds with another "Ewww!"

As Mason leaves, Amanda pulls on my hand and guides me into the room, telling all about what they're doing. She tells me that she got to ride a horse the other day and she got a bicycle. She shows me the pictures she's been drawing. The other kids recognize me and come towards us. They overwhelm me with hugs and questions of "where did you go?" and "did you miss me?" I do my best to answer them, so happy to see them all again. I guess whatever they thought happened a month ago is long gone and they are happy to see me again. My eyes tear up, it feels like I'm home again.

At one point, I catch a glance at Bridges, she is not happy. The kids always did like me better and I guess she was hoping that I'd leave quietly, but the youngsters had other ideas.

I see a new supervisor come into the room and she's confused as to why the kids are crowding me. Bridges explains her own version of my identity and story to the woman. I assume that she was my replacement after my meltdown. The supervisor looks at me curiously and then at my guests.

"Alright children, it's time to go outside," she calls over the noise.

The kids all rush to get their shoes and hats on, yelling and screaming before going to claim something to play with. This gives me a chance to catch my breath.

"Are you coming outside Crisi?" Amanda asks.

"I will, I just need to talk to Miss Bridges for a little while."

"Okay," the little girl nods before going out with the rest of the group and the supervisor.

Once the room grows quiet, I head back over to Bridges.

"Guess your plan went awry," I say, feeling a little bit of satisfaction over her anger and resentment.

Bridges clenches her jaw tightly.

"I'll get it out of the way now Bridges, I'm moving, out of state and in with my boyfriend. I'm going to have a baby very soon, but I knew I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

I can tell Bridges is trying not to smile. This is what she always wanted for me to be gone, but I'm going to burst her bubble a little bit.

"However," I say. "I have some business to finish up here. I'm going to resign properly and do the two weeks notice and get my final pay cheque. This will also allow the kids to say goodbye to me properly because as you can see, they missed me."

"Which I don't understand because they're used to you being gone for over a month," Bridges says.

"Regardless," I interject. "I want to end on a high note, plus there is another issue I have to take care of."

"Does it involve the strangers you brought in?" Bridges asks.

"One of the strangers happens to be my boyfriend, who is graciously getting a snack for the kids and the other two are looking for their son."

"I've never met them before, they can't be parents. You know I go through thorough interviews with all the parents."

"Our son was adopted," Tiana pipes up to help me out. "However, he was adopted illegally and we have come to bring him home."

"I highly doubt that is going to work in court Miss..."

"Anderson, Tiana Anderson."

"Anderson, so I suppose Brendan is your son?"

Tiana holds up the folder I obtained from the hospital awhile ago.

"And I have the paperwork to prove it," she says fiercely. I've never seen Tiana like this, but it is slightly enjoyable for her to be in Bridges' face. Bridges doesn't know what it's like to be a mom, and probably never will, so she's not used to Tiana's passion and ambition to bring her son home.

"I hate to burst your bubble darling, but I am not in charge of custody matters nor am I going to willingly hand over a child to complete strangers. If you are in fact the boy's birth mother, you'll have to discuss it with his adopted mother, who is the owner of a prestigious law firm I might add."

"We know you can't just hand him over, we're here to meet him and prove that he's being abused and neglected," I add.

Bridges' eyes go wide. "What are you talking about?"

"The benefit of working up closely with children is that I see things that you don't. The kid has emotional problems consistent with abuse and neglect and has continuous bruising on his arms and neck, way more than there should be on a five-year-old."

"I don't believe you, surely I would have noticed anything like that, I am after all the head supervisor."

"Which shows how little contact you actually have with kids," I snap back. "When he comes in, I'll show you."

We wait a little while until the kids begin lining up to come back inside. The supervisor guides them in and they begin taking their stuff off. Mason comes back in with some oatmeal cookies he got from a bakery downtown. I kiss him and then announce that it's snack time. The kids eagerly gather around me, begging for a cookie, little hands reaching out. I smile, immediately going back into my supervising/ECE role, handing one to each, while the other supervisor hands out juice boxes. The kids sit in their usual groups around the tiny tables as they eat their snack, chatting amongst themselves. Amanda doesn't leave my side at all, she wants to tell me everything that's been happening since I left. Tiana and Naveen hover around me, searching for their son. They eventually settle on a lone boy sitting alone.

"Is that...Is that him?" Tiana whispers. I can hear the emotion in her voice.

I nod.

Little Brendan sits at a table by himself, still clinging to Prince. His dark hair is a bit longer than the last time I saw him, badly in need of a trim and his sad brown eyes, his mother's eyes look down at his cookie and juice box. He nibbles a little bit on it and tries to remain invisible. I can see the tears welling up in Tiana's eyes. I know she just wants to scoop him up in her arms and never let him go. She never got to hold him as a baby and she's missed so many years of his life. Naveen too looks on the verge of crying, the five years of guilt coming back up to the surface.

I can just tell that they want to go over and shower the boy love and affection, something they've wanted to do since he was born. I put my hands on their shoulders and tell them to approach carefully, start out as a friend.

I watch as Tiana goes towards her son, taking slow and careful steps as to not scare the boy.

She takes the small seat next to him.

"Hello, what's your name?" Tiana asks.

The kids doesn't respond, he clutches Prince tightly and buries his face in the frog.

Naveen is keeping his distance, not really sure what to do. I walk up beside him. I can see he's crying.

"He kept it..." Naveen whispers.

"What? Prince?"

"Is that the frog's name?" Naveen asks.

I nod again. "He loves it. He won't let anyone touch it. He said it belonged to his real mommy."

"But you know it belonged to me," Naveen says.

"Yes, but he doesn't," I nudge him forward. "Go and talk to him."

"Will Tiana let me?"

"You're his father," I insist. "You have a right to see your son."

Naveen takes even slower steps before he reaches the table.

"That's a nice looking frog," Naveen says calmly. I can tell Brendan is a little overwhelmed, he's shaking a bit. He looks at me with his big brown eyes, tears forming.

"It's okay buddy, they just want to say hello," I say reassuringly.

I watch as Naveen sits down on Brendan's opposite side. The two parents sit in silence for a little while, trying to coax their son into speak to them. I know the first meeting isn't always the best. The kid needs to warm up to you and that may take awhile. I remember the amount of patience I had to have when I first met him.

Mason comes up behind me and puts his arms around me.

"How's it going?" he whispers.

"It's a bit awkward," I say. "The kid needs to get used to people first."

Eventually, Bridges calls for circle time and music time. Brendan takes the chance to go to the carpet, away from his strange visitors. The two other women hand out instruments and the kids each get a chance to perform their own little number. Brendan gets the xylophone. Tiana and Naveen watch as their son hardly touches the instrument, but when he has his turn, the sounds he bangs out on the little toy seem to be the most beautiful sounds that either parent has ever heard. The rest of the kids bang and play around until things get out of hand and I need to help keep things under control. Mason watches me proudly. He knows I will make a good mother, despite the dark powers.

The rest of the day, Tiana and Naveen take turns getting to know Brendan. They colour with him, they help him put his shoes on, they sit with him while the other children do Show-and-Tell. I can't tell what Brendan is thinking, he might be a little confused by this sudden attention, but at the same time...I think he likes it.

By the end of the day, he manages a thank you to both Tiana and Naveen. All the kids are waiting to be picked up as Bridges, the supervisor and myself clean up the room. Brendan, of course, is the last one to be picked up. Naveen decides to show off his music skills by playing the keyboard to entertain the kid while he waits. His hands press the keys expertly as he pounds out a melody. The little kid's eyes and ears perk up as Naveen begins playing something that causes Tiana to gasp.

"What?" I ask.

"That's our song?" Tiana explains. "He used to always play that for me..."

As Naveen starts to sing, I can see Tiana mouthing the words.

"Go over and sing with him."

"What? No!" she says quickly.

"Look, Brendan is interested and if he knows that you two love music, he'll like you even more."

"You really think so?" Tia asks.

"I know so."

It takes another minute before Tiana joins Naveen in song. Her voice is powerful and very soulful and Naveen isn't too bad either. You can tell they both fell in love while listening to this song. I can almost see a spark of happiness in their eyes. For once, there isn't any resentment, just the joy of singing this song. Brendan sits in a chair with Prince nearby, watching the two as if they're some amazing show. After playing on the piano, Naveen picks up a ukelele and begins strumming it.

"You remember that song?" Tia asks. I swear I can almost see tears in her eyes as if her prince charming has come back to her.

"How could I forget, it was your favourite," Naveen says with a gentle smile. He then strums a few notes on the ukelele.

"Can you teach me how to play like that?" Brendan suddenly pipes up.

The room suddenly goes quiet as this is the loudest the child has ever spoken.

"Why of course," Naveen says. He puts the ukelele down and sits down at the piano. he scootches over enough for his son to join him. The kid places Prince down next to him. Naveen then instructs him where to put his hands.

"Like this?" Brendan asks.

"Almost, a little more like this..." Naveen explains.

But no matter how hard he tries, Brendan can't seem to get the rhythm. All of us can see the kid is getting frustrated.

Naveen decides to try something. He has Brendan place his tiny hands over his large ones. He then begins playing, allowing his son's fingers to move in the exact rhythm of the song. A smile begins to grow on Brendan's face; Tiana makes it even better by beginning to sing along.

"I'm doing it!" Brendan says happily.

I can see tears in Tiana's eyes and Naveen is grinning from ear to ear. He's actually starting to look like a father, practicing patience and teaching his son something that they both love.

By the time the concert is over, everyone in the room is applauding. Brendan beams so brightly that he actually gets up and takes a bow. He then goes over and hugs Naveen, something that shocks all of us.

"Can you teach me how to play like that again?" the kid asks. "Can you come back tomorrow?"

Naveen smiles. "I don't see why not if that's okay with your teacher,"

Brendan looks eagerly over at Bridges. I give her a look, daring her to say no. The kid is actually smiling, laughing, thriving, something that none of us have been able to do since he arrived here.

"I...I suppose."

"Yeah!" Brendan cheers. He grabs Prince and begins dancing. Tiana begins to dance with him, doing all sorts of silly moves, making the kid laugh so hard he nearly falls over.

When his mother actually comes to pick him up, I can tell that he doesn't want to leave. His little burst of happiness as faded...but not quite.

As Brendan prepares to leave, Tiana leans down and talks to Brendan.

"I hope we get to see you again Brendan, you really do like music, and I have something special for you."

Tiana then reaches into her purse and gives Brendan her father's flute.

"It belonged to my father, he loved music too, and I want you to have it."

Brendan smiles. "Will you teach me how to play it?"

"Yes, I will," Tiana smiles. Brendan then hugs Tiana, which she happily accepts.

"Let's go, Brendan, I have a massage in fifteen minutes," his mother's obnoxious voice calls into the room.

That really kills the mood and all of us glare angrily at the woman who never even looks up from her phone. I have a good mind to permanently weld her phone to her hand with my magic, but Mason gives me a comforting squeeze to ease my anger and remind me not to lose it.

"Bye, Naveen, bye Tiana," Brendan says, waving before he goes out with his adopted mother.

Once the brown eyed boy leaves, I look over at Tiana and Naveen, happy and sad because they just met Brendan Naveen James Anderson.


	33. Chapter 33: Monster

Chapter 33: Monster

"How was the baseball game?" I ask as we all meet up at a small Italian restaurant for dinner. Tiana and Naveen sit quietly, reflecting on their first day with their son. It had gone really well considering how all three of them came to be in these circumstances and the way Tiana was treating Naveen. For once it seemed like they were actually enjoying each other's company instead of tolerating each other. I knew it was the step in the right direction.

Emma, Hook, and Henry enter the restaurant, clearly having enjoyed the fact they had the day to themselves. Henry has a new ball cap on with the Yankee's logo on it. Behind him is Hook with a similar hat. I smirk when I see them. To see Hook in modern clothing is quite amusing.

"Awesome, it was hat day and the Yankees won six to nothing," Henry says, taking up a chair next to me and Mason.

"Aye, it was quite the experience. Very loud and a lot of beer," Hook says. I can see that Emma is helping him stand up straight which indicates he knocked back quite a few drinks. It's surprising me that he's wobbling, we all know that Killian is a hard drinker and could put anyone to shame in staying sober in any situation.

"There was only a lot of beer because he ordered so many from the vendor," Emma groans, helping Hook into a chair.

"It distracted me because I didn't understand the game or who to cheer for," Hook explains.

"Modern stuff isn't your thing is it, Kil?" I ask.

"Aye," he nods, picking up a menu.

"Wonder where the others are?" Mason asks.

"Belle probably wanted to stay late at the library or something," Tiana answers.

"So how'd it go with the kid?" Emma asks.

Tiana and Naveen look at each other, I decide to answer for them.

"Pretty well, I'm going to do the proper thing and giving them my two weeks notice. The kids missed me. As for Brendan, he's still pretty shy, but he seems to like Tia and Naveen."

"It doesn't surprise me that the children missed you," Mason says. "You're a gentle soul, you're going to be a wonderful mother." He kisses me on the cheek.

"At last, the werewolf shows affection to my child," Rumpel says, coming up with Belle and Ruby. Belle has a bag filled with books on her shoulder and Ruby has some shopping bags. I smirk, thinking of my dad in a shopping mall with two women. I wish I could have taken a picture.

I roll my eyes. "He's always showed me affection dad, you've just never been around to see it."

"Indeed," my dad says, pulling a chair out for his pregnant wife.

"And it was from that affection that you will be getting another grandchild," I smirk. Everyone groans. I don't usually tell dirty jokes like that, but when it's handed to you like that, sometimes you just have to do it. "And on a much cleaner note, how was your day?"

"Absolutely wonderful, we did not see that Trump man but we had ice cream in his tower, the museum had a Greek art exhibit and the library was utterly fantastic,"

"Did you see where Henry broke into the glass case for the replica Holy Grail?" Emma asks.

Henry turns red in the face and sinks in his seat, not his proudest moment.

"Yes, but there was an entire section dedicated to 15th-century history alone..." Belle carries on.

"Yeah, little Miss Bookworm wanted to spend the entire day there so I ended up doing a little shopping," Ruby squeals.

"What did you get?" Tiana asks, suddenly interested. The females lean in a bit to

"A new pair of shoes, some awesome earrings in red of course, a cute cardigan and skirt and some high-quality makeup,"

"How can you afford that stuff?" Emma blurts.

"I saved my tips as a waitress," Ruby says smugly. "Plus if I was short, I snagged Grandma's credit card."

We snicker around the table as Ruby shows us her purchases.

"I also bought this for the either yours or Belle's baby,"

She pulls out a small onesie it says "Daddy's Lil'Monster" on it.

Both of the pregnant women roll their eyes.

"I couldn't resist considering..." she lowers her voice. "You're both related to a monster and one of you might be carrying a werewolf baby."

Mason kisses me as I groan. Yes, I'm dating a werewolf, but Ruby's one too. I guess with my dad being the Dark One, it's an added "monster" feature.

"More like a puppy," my dad jokes. Belle kicks him under the table.

We all order great Italian food. We're half-way through dinner when I look over at Mason. Something about him seems off. He's staring out the front door of the restaurant, which is all glass, with wide blue eyes. His eyebrows have crept together into a very concerned frown and he's dropped his cutlery down. The colour from his face has also drained significantly.

"What's wrong?" I whisper, as no one else seems to notice his change in behaviour.

Mason doesn't respond. He keeps his eyes fixed on the door as if something is about to happen.

"Mason...?" I say again, a little louder.

My heart is pounding louder than before and I become more concerned. I reach over to grab Mason and his arm is burning hot.

"Mason what's wrong?" I ask. I shake his shoulder, trying to get him to look at me. I hear a low growl gathering in his throat.

The others are starting to notice his behaviour and some may have heard the growl.

Mason gets up suddenly, practically knocking his water glass over and charges to the door without a word. Other people in the restaurant are looking over in confusion as he just rushed out like the place was on fire.

"Mason!" I say loudly. I immediately get up and try to follow him. The others also stand up in concern.

I go through the glass door and look left and right for him. I hear a loud growl followed by a snarl. It sounds like it came from a very big dog. Other people on the street are fleeing and screaming from something up the street.

I hope that doesn't mean...

I turn towards the sound and head to an alleyway just down the street. I'm hearing more snarling and I rush towards where people are fleeing in fear.

When I get to the alleyway, I see nothing but a bunch of knocked over garbage cans, a rusty chainlink fence and...

I gasp when I see the necklace laying on the pavement. I swallow hard and pick it up in my hands.

"Crystal what...?" Emma asks. She had followed me down the street.

"Get my everyone out here Emma, we're gonna need all the help we can get because...

There's a werewolf loose in New York City,"


	34. Chapter 34: Battle in the Park

Chapter 34: Battle in the Park

"What?!" Emma says.

I hold the necklace up for her to see.

"Why would he...?" she asks. "If people see him..."

"And if he's under the alpha's control again," I say.

"We have to get Ruby to track him down," Emma says. "Before something happens,"

"Mom?!" we hear behind us, Henry comes running towards us followed by Ruby, Tiana, and Belle. "What happened?"

I hold up the necklace for Henry and the others to see.

"Oh, gawd!" Belle gasps.

"You think you can track him down Ruby?" Emma asks.

"I can try, but my tracking skills aren't as good in the cities because of all the smells."

In the distance, we hear several more terrified people scream.

"It shouldn't be too hard," Tiana says. "Just follow the screams of terrified people."

"Is there any chance we can do a locator spell?" I ask.

"We don't have the ingredients," Emma says. "We'd need Regina or your dad to make it."

"Have me make what?" My dad says, coming up to join the crowd in the alleyway

"My boyfriend just took off in wolf form," I explain.

"Why should we worry?" my dad says. "We can probably pick him up at the pound tomorrow."

I feel anger shoot through me. I collar my dad against the brick wall of the alley.

"One more crack about the man I love and you'll wish you'd never had me!" I warn

"I've made that wish several times since we met," Dad says.

I use my powers and smash the brick wall beside him. He flinches in fear.

"Looks like you got your mother's rage..." he says softly.

"No, she was a passive person, the rage is all my own and most of it is aimed at you..." I hiss angrily. "Now you either help us track down Mason or I'll make you wish you were never born..."

I obviously don't mean this threat, but when you have a deceitful father like I do and you have a lot of pent-up rage towards your demonic father, you'll be surprised what comes out of your mouth.

"You don't want to test me, Dad, especially since you know what happens when I get angry."

Making sure I've gotten my point across, I turn away from him and go towards the others. They look a little spooked, but when someone you love is in trouble, your emotions can get the better of you.

"I have a plan," I say. "Emma, Ruby and I will start tracking down Mason because magic might be needed. Meanwhile, Belle, you and Henry help my dad get a locator spell together and put it on this..." I toss Henry Mason's ball cap, the one he was wearing all day that was left in the restaurant. "Tiana, you, Naveen and Hook take my car and follow us." I toss my keys to Tiana. The reason I'm leaving Hook out of the action is that he's not exactly in the best shape to be helping and we don't need a drunken pirate running around the city either. I also know that we might not need a locator spell, but anything to get my dad out of the way and keep a pregnant Belle and Henry out of harm's way. I'm sure Emma is thankful for that.

"Alright," Tiana nods and heads back to the restaurant to grab Naveen and Hook. I conjure up one of Mason's belongings, something with his scent on it so Ruby can start following it.

"Uh, Crystal, dear I don't exactly have the resources to create a locator spell," my dad says.

I roll my eyes in annoyance. I don't know if my dad is trying to be difficult or just trying to piss me off. "Come on Dad, you're the Dark One for Pete's sake, use that magic and get what you need!"

Ruby takes a sniff of Mason's sweater and then smells the air. It feels weird that she's getting in touch with her canine senses. Fortunately, there aren't that many people around the alleyway, most of them fled in fear.

"He went east," Ruby says, her eyes focusing hard.

She begins jogging down the street, Emma and I following close behind her. She stops every so often to take another whiff of the sweater before continuing on. My heart is pounding in my ears and my forehead is creased so hard that it hurts. I clutch the necklace tightly in my left hand as we run through the darkened streets of New York. I'm worried about what might happen if we don't find Mason soon, especially if the alpha is around. Mason told me himself that the connection with the alpha runs a lot deeper, especially if he or she is bitten by the leader. Their venom runs in their victim's veins and once the alpha has tasted your blood, he can control the shifting and also sometimes the minds of the pack. There's a strong connection between all the mutts and the more power/magic they have, the more control the alpha has. It's almost like a hive mind, the leader pulls the strings. Some of the wolves, like Mason, are basically slaves and must do the bidding of the pack leader no matter how hard they fight. Mason tells me that it took him a long time to fight the pack's control and my necklace only enhanced that. But without it... I don't want to think about what might happen.

I know both Emma and I are concerned about the type of exposure this could mean for our magic and our existence as a whole. None of us know how to do memory spells and with everyone having phones, this is bound to be on the news. Fortunately, for now, most people are afraid of giant creatures and run for cover at every chance they get.

As we get closer to Central Park, Ruby sniffs even harder.

"There's another strong scent," Ruby says. "It's definitely another wolf, but it's heavier."

Ruby puts her hand on the pavement; there's a splatter of liquid on the corner of the street across from the park.

"Blood," Ruby says. "It's getting violent."

My head begins to spin anxiously and my stomach twists. The question is who's blood, is it?

I can see Emma's hands glowing and I can feel my powers warming up too.

"Ruby," I say. "Now might be a good time to go wolf."

"Thinking the same thing," she nods.

She jogs ahead of us across the street to the park. She slips into the shadows of the trees and I see the dissolving of white mist. A large dark coloured wolf comes back out, her silver eyes reflect the moonlight indicating that she has control of herself. We race across the street after her. Ruby begins guiding us further into the tree line.

We can hear angry animalistic snarls and various human screams coming from the park. I want so badly to use my hand to light up the area, but that would expose us for sure. We get closer to the heavy sounds. It's so intense that branches are snapping and the ground beneath us is shaking from time to time from some sort of impact.

We approach an open area, with grass, often where people would play sports and games on sunny days, but this time, it's a battlefield. We see two large furry animals attacking one another. It's so dark that I can't tell who is who. Another thing to note is the size of them. I always knew Mason was a big wolf, but this attacker might be twice as big. Granny wasn't kidding when she said the Shadow Clan wolves were the largest four-legged creatures.

I suddenly realize that Ruby becoming a wolf would do nothing. She's tiny compared to these monsters, but before I can stop her she bounds towards the battle.

"Darn it, Ruby!" I hiss. Impulsive as ever. I'm not fast enough to stop her with my magic before she leaps onto the bigger shape. I think she sinks her teeth into its fur because it lets out a yelp of pain. It begins bucking and trying to throw Ruby off its back.

"This isn't going to end well," Emma says. "We need to stop the fighting."

"Thinking the same thing, but how?" I say.

"We need to create force fields or something. Kind of like an explosion, it should separate them and propel them backward enough to get control of the situation." Emma says.

"Okay," I nod. I close my eyes to concentrate. I can feel my hands lighting up with the purple glow. Emma's hands also light up with pure white. I picture creating a shield with my powers...I have to protect Mason "On three...One...two...three!"

Emma and I both unleash our powers, propelling the shields between the three fighting wolves and we force our hands outwards, sending them back across the field. I hear a howl of confusion and several thuds as they all land on the grass.

"Mason! Ruby!" I call out. The two wolves associated with those names and their corresponding humanity look over at us. I teleport to Mason's side. He looks awful and he's shaking to get rid of the impact of our magic. His fur is all matted and covered in mud and I'm sure blood. I see claw marks all over his legs and beside his face. I know Emma and probably I can heal these easily, but I want to know why this is going on.

"Mason what's going on?! Is this a Shadow Clan member?"

I'm desperate for an answer. He could expose our entire world just by this alone and risked many lives already. I hold out the necklace to show him I want him to be human again. Mason looks at me and immediately tries to nudge me aside without giving me some form of an answer. I can tell he wants to attack again. He looks past me and snarls.

"Mason...I can't understand you this way."

I look over to the other massive wolf slowly standing up, clearly stunned by our magic. Ruby bounds toward us, followed closely by Emma. Mason crouches again for another attack and lets out another snarl before barking loudly. Ruby responds as such, her snarl slightly timider. I can assume because she's never faced a creature this large before.

"At least tell Ruby telepathically what's happening and allow her to become human again," Emma suggests quickly.

Both of us humans look at the massive frame of the third wolf. He scrapes his paw against the dirt beneath him and growls once more. His eyes are glowing yellow, something very unusual and haunting and I assume it is part of the Shadow Clan's traits/control over the pack. Mason's eyes glow blue, the same in his human form, which indicates his uniqueness and fights against the pack. The enemy wolf sniffs the air and lets out his own series of snarls. His large yellow eyes go from Emma to me to Ruby and back to Mason. I can't tell what he's thinking, maybe he realizes that he's outnumbered He lets out a long and eerie howl before bounding out of sight.

I can tell Mason wants to go after him until we hear police sirens and the shouts of officers. We can see flashlights in the distance coming towards our position. There are even helicopters approaching with large searchlights.

"You guys need to get back into human form and we need to disappear," I say. I quickly run over to Mason and put the necklace on him, this time, he accepts it willingly. In a puff of smoke, he's human again, only bloodied and bruised. Ruby shifts back to normal, she too obtained some battle scars.

I concentrate extremely hard as I've never teleported more than just myself before, but the adrenaline inside me gives me the power and confidence to picture where I want to go and bring everyone around me too. I snap my fingers and we're all gone in an instant.

We appear in a dark alleyway, not too far from Central Park. We try to act as nonchalantly as we can. I text Tiana.

 _Meet us back at the hotel, Mason with us, make sure you aren't pulled over by cops. Meet in my room._

I text a similar message to Henry.

I flag a cab and we all climb in. The driver doesn't seem to notice how badly beaten Ruby and Mason look and she pulls up in front of our hotel. I pay her and we rush inside, past the front desk and into the elevator.

I unlock my room with a key and we all slip inside. Mason sits down on the bed and I finally get a good look at him. He has a black eye coming, he has three distinct claw marks down the side of his cheek, his clothes are torn to kingdom come and splattered with mud and blood. He has several other lacerations to his body and I can see he's shaking a little. He's even missing clumps of hair.

Emma immediately gets to work on healing him. I know I'm going to have to be taught that at some point to help people. I look at Ruby; she's also banged up, but not as severely. She waits her turn to be healed.

There's a knock at the door and Henry, Belle, and Rumpel enter.

"What happened?" Henry asks as he goes towards his mother.

"It was a Shadow Clan wolf," Ruby explains. "He spotted Mason through the window and realized who he was with. The wolf recognized pretty much all of us, even Henry."

"What? How?" I ask. I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

"They apparently have been keeping tabs on the different curses that have been cast over the years."

"Do they know about Storybrooke?" Belle asks.

"I couldn't tell. I realized I had to be careful about what I thought about in case they didn't," Ruby answers as Emma moves to heal her. "The one we saw wanted to kill Mason for being a traitor and most likely kill us too."

An uncomfortable silence falls over us at the thought that we were literally inches from death by some homicidal wolf.

"Why? what did we do?" Henry asks.

"They knew about our powers, Rumpel being the Dark One, Crystal as his daughter, Emma as the Saviour, me as a werewolf and Henry as the Author. According to him, Rumpel is the natural enemy of the pack, as well as my type of wolf. They saw the power that both Emma and Crystal possess and want to use it."

"But for what?" I insist.

"Anything..." Mason finally speaks out. "With the power of Dark and Light, they could control all the realms of magic and make wolves the dominant species."

"So basically world domination?" Belle asks.

Mason nods. "I knew I had to stop him. I wanted so badly to kill him so he couldn't report any of this to Filtiarn, but you guys interfered before that happened."

I grow angry with him. "We were trying to protect you!"

"So was I, if you had let me kill him, he wouldn't have run off into the woods to report to the pack leader."

"Don't make yourself look so tough Mason," Ruby snaps. "You were barely winning when I stepped in."

Mason lets out a growl until there's a knock at the door.

I open it to Tiana, Naveen, and Hook.

"Swan!" Hook says, he immediately pushes past the rest of us and hugs her. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine, but apparently the wolf got away," Emma answers.

"What did he want?" Tiana asks.

"Us dead," Ruby replies.

I bring the others up to speed on everything so far. I turn to Mason. "You need to tell us everything that has happened. We don't know your entire story and we want to know the pack's motives. Why are they here and what do they want?"


	35. Chapter 35: Mason's Secrets

Chapter 35: Mason's Secrets

 _Hey readers, here's Mason's backstory. He's been kind of a mystery since he first appeared, but now everything is out in the open, answering questions like how he became and werewolf, why his parents died, how he came to be here and how he met Crystal. Please review and enjoy._

"Well... I suppose the best place to start is the beginning," Mason says. I go over and sit next to him. I put my arm around him to give him support.

"My father was a poor slave in a land known as Mysterium Coldo,"

"Where's that?" Henry asks. "I've never heard of it."

"Neither have I," Hook adds

"Nor I, it's not a land I've ever read about," Belle adds.

"It's not far from Misthaven itself, but something happened awhile back. I think I remember the pack leader telling me that a sorcerer cast a curse on the land, covering it in shadows and basically removing its existence from scrolls and books. It wasn't much better than any other land anyways, except maybe that it had wolves prowling in the woods at night. To be honest my father preferred it over being under the Evil Queen's rule or with the threat of Rumpelstiltskin."

I look over at my dad and smirk. "How does that feel Dad? To be compared to actual bloodthirsty monsters? And if Regina was here, she'd be pretty mad too," I comment.

My dad glares at me. "Not much different from the one you are dating now is it?"

"How many lives have you taken?" I snap back.

"So your father was a poor slave..." Belle prompts, trying to be the referee between our family fights.

I want so badly to make my dad eat those words further, but I ignore it and allow Mason to continue.

"Yes, most of the land was dirt poor since it was covered in shadows, meaning no food could grow."

"So what did you do to make money or get food?" Tiana asks.

"We made weapons mostly. The entire land was mostly made of blacksmiths and they labored in the heat all day to make the most dangerous of weapons for the Oger wars. I think it was the sorcerer who provided trade between the lands and then his descendants, who incidentally turned out to be the wolves, carried on the tradition. They traded the weapons for food and other supplies with Mist Haven and other lands. My father, Charles Phelps, was a black smith's lowly slave due to an injury he sustained when he was young. His arm had been shattered during a wolf attack and never healed properly, leaving him unable to contribute to the land or become a blacksmith himself. He could only work as a slave and ate the scraps of those who were capable of making a living."

"Certainly harder than Regina's ruling," Rumple comments and Belle elbows him to shut up.

"My father fell in love with my mother, her name was Juliette, the daughter of his master at the time. She loved him, but much like her namesake, they were to be kept apart, lovers never meant to see each other. They met in secret and at one point wanted to run away together, the problems were the wolves and the shadowed curse. No one could enter or leave without the wolves' permission."

"Powerful stuff," Henry comments.

Mason nods. "My father did his best to earn the blessing of his master, but once the man found out about the affair... he tried to murder my father to prevent anything else happening. The only thing that stopped him was my mother, brave as she was, stood in his way, claiming that he would have to kill her before he could kill the man she loved. Her father backed off but disowned her. The land supported her father and shamed mine for being cowardly and useless. They were free at last to be together, but it came at the cost of safety and respect. They married and lived in a small house on the edge of the land. There they could live in peace, away from the harsh judgments of others, but the downside was it left them at the mercy of the pack."

Mason pauses to swallow a lump in his throat. This clearly not a story he wants to re-tell. I kind of wished we had the dreamcatchers, to spare him the pain of the tragic tale.

"My mother became pregnant with me, but due to his inability to earn money, it became quite clear that my mother and I would starve before she could give birth to me. So my father went on to drastic measures."

"Don't tell me," Ruby says.

"My father went to the wolves. He begged the pack to allow his wife to live until my birth, ensure the safety of his child and that he would be wealthy enough to raise his family and he would do anything in exchange."

"All magic comes with a price," My dad smirks.

"I'm afraid you're right Mr. Gold. There was a terrible price to pay. I believe that if he had tried any other way, things would be different. My father was forced to murder all the other powerful men in the land. The reason they couldn't do it themselves was because there were always guards around and they could tell who was a wolf and who wasn't. They thought my father would be the perfect ploy, a crippled man sent in to deliver something, slit the man's throat and leave just as he came. Then the wolves would attack and rob the place, giving much of the wealth to my father. No one could accuse him of anything because of the fear the wolves cast on everyone."

"Oh my god," Emma says gently, leaning into Hook. Belle shifts over to Rumple and I lay my head on Mason's shoulder.

"Yes, it was not pleasant. My father was deeply scarred by these experiences. He changed after that... He told me that himself. Murder changes people."

This sends a chill through the room. We all look over at my Dad, then Hook, Emma, and Ruby. I feel a heaviness in my stomach and I wipe a tear from my eye. It is the truth, Emma murdered Cruella and nearly ruined everyone's stories; Ruby murdered as a dog, killing the man she loved at the time; Hook as a pirate killed multiple times and became the villain we once knew him as and my father, who's killed so many times no one can keep count, his first murder made him the Dark One. Every day I lived with the guilt that I'd killed my mother in a fit of rage and it changed me. For better and for worse, I did fix my life, but I no longer had a mother, the one person who loved me at the time.

"My mother hated what my father had become. She saw him as worse than the wolves themselves. His greed motivated him to continue, earn the money and give her the life he'd always wanted for her. Of course, she was able to continue to carry me but she now feared the man she loved..."

Mason pauses again and rubs a tear from his eye.

"It's okay," I say finally. "You don't have to go on if you don't want to."

"No, you all have to know how much of a threat these wolves are and you deserve the truth about me..."

Mason tries to compose himself before continuing.

"The night I was born, the wolves said that this would be the last task he would be set and the deal would be complete. My father, of course, wanted to be there for my birth, but the pack leader insisted with the threat of death. My father was forced to kill the final victim, my mother's father. My father was surprised that he felt no remorse for ending the man's life. He always saw it as an eye for an eye. The slave taking revenge on the master. Kill the man who tried to kill him. The pack met him at the gate and told him everything was complete. He had what he wanted and he was free to go home..." Mason swallows as tears well up in his eyes. "But it wasn't home when he got back."

"Oh my god!" Emma says again, she also on the brink of tears. I realize what she means and I cling to Mason like he's going to disappear. I grab his hand and lean my face against his neck. I don't want to hear the next part.

"He came home to a massacre. My father found me screaming in my mother's blood, her throat had been ripped open. He learned that shortly after my mother gave birth, the wolves attacked our home... M-Murdering my mother and biting me..."

Mason breaks down after this and sobs into his hands. I'm crying now too, I just hold him in my arms. There is a chill and stillness in the room at what Mason just said. I can't picture Mason as a baby, screaming in agony while his mother lay dead beside him. I start to wonder if she ever got to hold her son before those monsters ended her life. I put my hand on my stomach, worried about our own baby.

It's clear these monsters have no mercy and likely kill on a whim. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if Emma and I hadn't stopped the fight, but now I'm afraid it's going to get much, much worse.

Still holding onto Mason, I look around the room. All the others look shell-shocked, quietly thinking or are close to tears themselves. I think most of us in the room know what it's like to lose someone close to them; the pain is unbearable and the hole left in your heart never heals. Family, friends or allies, whoever it is, the suffering lasts for what feels like forever and overwhelming guilt that you could have done something to save them sits in your stomach, eating up your soul. Their faces haunt your dreams every night and you just want to scream out

...

Eventually, Mason composes himself enough to continue the story, I'm holding his hand the entire time.

"My father confronted the pack leader saying he went back on their deal, but Filtiarn said the verbal contract was sound. My father only said that he wanted my mother to live until she gave birth and to ensure the safety of his child was to make him or her a part of the pack."

"Damned loopholes," I hear Tiana hiss under her breath.

"Indeed," Mason nods. "My father felt like the ultimate fool, he betrayed his true love for money and was now left with an infant son who was a werewolf. The pack, of course, offered to take me as a member and allow my father to keep his money and power, but he refused. He'd already lost the one thing that he loved, he would not lose the last piece of her. He demanded to be set free from this land of darkness. The wolves, of course, refused, but my father found the leverage he needed. Either Filtiarn, the leader, would grant him and his son passage to a safer land or..."

"Or what?" Ruby asks.

Mason looks over at my dad. "Or he'd summon the Dark One"

I roll my eyes. Why does this not surprise me? "Is there any story that you don't show up in?" I hiss angrily. If he lied about not knowing about the Shadow Clan... could he have a cure for Mason's condition? It wouldn't be the first time he'd have lied to people about knowing things. He did it with Elsa about her sister Anna and many others for that matter.

I'm just about ready to explode at my dad again, once again his dark magic comes into play. But something stops me. My dad actually looks surprised for the first time in a while. Belle looks at him with similar malice, ready to confront him.

"It seems strange. In all my years, I've never encountered a single creature from your land. I am being quite honest, I swear on my child's life that I've never heard of the Shadow Clan or Mysterium, if not in passing phrase or a concealed whisper."

"And how can we tell you're not lying?" Emma snaps.

"Aye," Hook agrees. "Honesty has never been a strength of yours."

"Spoken by the pirate in the room," Rumpel snaps.

"Rumpelstiltskin you tell us the truth right now!" Belle says angrily. Belle and I are in the same boat in terms of being clobbered by the Dark One's secrets and yet going back to the man we care about. It actually makes me sick how much we forgive my dad's mistakes.

"I think Mr. Rumpel is telling the truth," Mason pipes up before my dad can defend himself. "I believe the sorcerer of Mysterium may have trifled with one of your predecessors. Zoso, I believe the name was. Filtiarn mentioned that name only a few times during my years with the pack."

"The man you killed to become the Dark One," Henry says a matter a factly.

Rumpel nods.

"Yes, you and your powers are one of the few things that Filtiarn fears. I don't fully know why besides for the obvious reasons. I believe there is some ancient link between you and the shadows that covered our land. I believe the sorcerer actually concealed Mysterium for that very reason, to avoid you and your descendants."

"Which is understandable," I mutter. The others around me nod in agreement, even my father gives an odd half-smile.

"So when my father threatened to call upon Rumpelstiltskin, Filtiarn granted us a one-way passage to a place known as The Land Without Magic. It was there my father thought his infant son would be safe from the pack and the curse, redeem himself in anyway possible. When he left, he brought some money, my mother's ashes and me. As my father stepped through the portal, Filtiarn swore he would one day find us. We ended up in London, England. My father traded the money for enough pounds to buy us a small farm house outside of Wales. Under a small lavender tree, he buried my mother. It was her favourite type of flower. He promised her that he would raise their son with love and care, something he neglected to give her in those last few months of her life. My father also vowed to raise me as normally as he could, deny the existence of Mysterium or Misthaven or any land of magic, I would only ever hear of such creatures in fairy tales."

Mason scratches the back of his neck.

"I grew up with quite a normal childhood. My father was thoroughly convinced that my shifting was non-existent in this world and that we were safe from Mysterium forever. But it wasn't until later that I learned the reason I didn't change right away was because the alpha was not around and most of the changes occurred when I'm emotionally distressed and after I turned into a young lad."

"So what happened?" Ruby asks.

"Filtiarn happened. He never forgot his vow against my father and he brought his pack to this world. When and How? I'm unsure, but they didn't find us right away. It took them years and by then, I was in boarding school, leaving my father unarmed and alone. I assume that since I was in the city, I was harder to trace, so they likely tracked my scent to the farmhouse..."

Mason's eyes become shiny again. I lean into him.

"It's okay," I whisper. "Take your time."

"It was just Christmas time and I was coming home for the holidays. My father sat outside on the small stone porch waiting for me as I came across the field. I saw him stand and wave to me like he always did when I came home, it was just starting to snow..."

Tears drag down Mason's face.

"They attacked right in front of me, coming from all directions. They completely tore my father apart... leaving... very little behind except for the blood in the freshly fallen snow..."

Mason swallows hard and my stomach turns at the very description he gave.

"It...it was so fast... that I could do nothing... it was then that I felt something inside me snap and that's when I shifted for the first time. I attacked the pack but was overpowered easily. Filtiarn greeted me like a brother and welcomed me to my 'rightful' place amongst our kind. I was only fourteen, lost and very confused, having just seen the murder of my own father. Filtiarn reached out to me and told me the truth of where I came from and my father's deeds. I tried to convince me to join their ranks and learn the ways of the wolves..."

Mason pauses to wipe his eyes.

"I am certainly not proud of this, but I did join them for awhile. I was fourteen and no longer had a family, so I lived amongst the monsters. I learned to hunt, fight and control my abilities, but the pack was ruthless. They would surprise innocent civilians, shift from human to wolf, in front of them and kill them in cold blood. Filtiarn said he enjoyed this world since it was easy to dominate and there was plenty of meat. But I knew that this was wrong. My father raised me as a lad of strong moral character and I knew I had to escape. The only the problem was trying to severe the connection Filtiarn had over me. Since he had bitten me, I had is venom in my veins. I was basically my father... a slave to a monster. But I fought. I fought and ran. I snuck away one night when the pack was hunting and I fled. I turned back to a human and left England altogether, even though it made me sad. I came to America and started over. Then I met Crystal..."

I blush and smile, laying my head on his shoulder, he kisses my cheek.

"I knew immediately who she was, wolves can smell the differences between humans from Earth and humans from Misthaven... I think it's something in the blood. I could sense that she had great magic inside her. Filtiarn told us that there were others from our land who had been sent here by a dark curse, including the Dark One himself... he only told me once about it, but I knew he was keeping more from me. However, I learned that Crystal knew nothing about who she was or how much power she had. I could tell she was struggling."

I smile inwardly, Mason had come to me when I was really down, after yet another breakup and losing my job, plus I was still shaky and sad over my mother's death. He gave me a shoulder to cry on and actually made me forget that I was a monster or at least had one in my head. He changed something in me, brought out my good side. I could tell, maybe it was my powers, that he was different too and we fit together like two odd puzzle pieces. He actually made me love myself and that I wasn't a freak after all. I still tried to hide my powers from him and be normal, but he seemed to ignore the times it happened...at least I thought he ignored them. He loved me for who I was and still does.

"It was hard to ignore the times the lights flickered when you and I fought... I knew your powers were unstable, but I had to learn more about you, who were your parents..." Mason says. "So when I found your mother's diary by chance, I read it, but I knew that one day you would have to learn this for yourself. I'm sorry I never told you that, but I didn't have a long time to feel guilty because the pack found their way to New York."

I am a little upset that Mason went through my personal belongings, things I was hiding from and things that brought me great sadness, but I knew I would have to learn the truth one day and face up to what I did. I'm actually happy he never told me the truth because I definitely would've thought he was crazy.

"I knew I couldn't put you in danger Crystal, so that fight we had two months ago was my attempt to protect you. I knew with Filtiarn back, I wouldn't be able to control my shifting anymore and I could risk it..."

I feel like my eyes are opened, like a bolt of lightning hit me, and things fall into place. It would make sense why he would pretend to cheat on me so I would hate him and leave him be.

"That is until I confronted Filtiarn and like that memory you saw, he wanted her magic. I knew I had to speed up the process of you finding out who you were Crystal, but you were a step ahead of me. I thought I could protect you until one of the pack members reminded me about the shifting. So with little choice, I broke up with you and fled in wolf form... and I haven't seen them since, until tonight."

"But why are they still here? Why are they so interested in us? What does he want with us?" Emma asks.

"I think he wants to create a new curse..."


	36. Chapter 36: Returning to the Fortress

Chapter 36: Returning to the Fortress

 _Hey Oncers, here's the next chapter. Please review and enjoy_

"I remember seeing it in your memories, something about creating a curse..." I say, swallowing hard.

"But what kind of curse?" Tiana asks.

"A very powerful curse, one in which wolves are the dominant species and it will allow them to rule the land, much like Mysterium"

"Again with world domination," I mumble. "Don't evil people have other things to do with their time?"

"Apparently not," Emma answers. She turns back to Mason. "Do you know what kind of ingredients are needed for the curse?."

"Quite a few, the most that I can recall are that it requires light and dark magic, a human heart, blood and I've also heard that it needs a life to be sacrificed..."

The room goes quiet again. The darkness of Regina's first curse was bad enough, plus Pan's and a few others that have plagued Storybrooke over the years... but this one sounds even worse. I can't imagine what the wolves might do if their curse succeeds... what kind of suffering it would bring. I see out of the corner of my eye Henry is writing down what Mason said so he can add it into the storybook for later.

"How can such a curse exist?" Rumpel says after a few moments.

"I think Filtiarn created it himself..." Mason says. "Filtiarn is more than the alpha wolf, he's a descendant of the first sorcerer of Mysterium and his power is something to be feared. I've heard statements from the other wolves that his magic is to be feared more than the Dark One's himself. Its origin comes from a powerful source of evil, something that exists no matter how hard one might try to destroy it."

"What source?" my dad says, his eyebrows lifting up in curiosity.

"The evil in humanity. No matter how good a person may seem on the outside, they all have a darkness that looms inside them, coming to the surface in times of anger and fear. Filtiarn has managed to harness this power to the point that even if you are a foot away from him, he can bring out your inner darkness and use it to manipulate you. He has also managed to allow this ability to influence the pack, giving them more strength. I've felt it myself, it feels invigorating, one may never feel so powerful until you are under Filtiarn's control. It's almost like you're on a drug, light-headed and euphoric, the power coursing through your veins and you get addicted very quickly. You simply want more and more until you become a full-fledged monster and slave to the alpha."

"So what prevented you from becoming an addict and slave?" Ruby asks.

"I always remembered my humanity and I often had the one thing that the others in the pack did not...a family. The unconditional love of a father or mother, none of them ever had it like I did. It kept me sanely and reminded me that I was not a monster on the inside and out like the others. My father often told me growing up that my mother's love was always inside of me, protecting me. She fought hard that night to protect me and gave up her life in the process. I still believe that this is true, their love and Crystal's love allowed me to break free of Filtiarn's control."

"So why do you still need the necklace?" Naveen asks.

"Filtiarn can still control my body, not my soul," Mason answers. "His power has increased in the recent months. I don't know how, but it has, I've seen it myself. He's somehow been able to keep us in wolf form longer and it's almost to the point of full mind control. To him, we'd become unthinking, unfeeling machines, capable of mass genocide or worse."

The room becomes quiet for a few moments as the sounds of the city rumble below us. Clearly, we have very formidable opponents out there and they want us for some kind of curse that could destroy everything we hold dear to us.

"So what do we do now?" Henry asks, breaking the silence.

I clear my throat. "The majority of you need to go back to Storybrooke. I'm sorry that we have to cut the trip short, but we can't put ourselves in danger by being out here, away from where our magic is most powerful. If the wolves do find their way to Storybrooke, we need at least some form of power to defend it." I look over at Emma and my dad specifically. "Plus with babies on the way, I highly doubt we need to expose ourselves any more than we have to." I nod towards Belle.

"Why aren't you going?" Ruby asks. "You have a baby on the way too."

"Because," I say, I look over at Tiana and Naveen. "I promised Tia that I would bring her son home and I plan to keep that promise." Plus I'm sure Tiana nor Naveen want to leave their son in a city infested with werewolves. "It's the main reason that we came here in the first place."

Tiana smiles at me and goes over to hug me. "Thank you..." she whispers.

"So Naveen, Tiana, Mason and myself are staying here in NYC, the rest of you need to go back to Storybrooke and cast some new sort protection spell on the town."

"Yes," Mason says. "And it should not be easily detected by magic."

I look over at my dad. "Do you think you can do that Dad?"

My dad actually looks uncertain. "I'm not a miracle worker Crystal, I can't guarantee anything. And if I do cast a protection spell that prevents people from entering the town, that means it will keep you out too. You won't be able to return as easily, if at all." That thought scares me for a moment, being unable to return to what I know as home, but Emma comes to the rescue to put my worries at ease.

"We could try using blood magic," Emma suggests. "If one of us gives their blood for the spell then, that person only will be allowed to let people in or out of the town."

"But who's blood will we use?" Belle asks.

"Emma's," I say as if it is so obvious. I know we're all thinking that Emma is the only trustworthy person to do it. She has a good equilibrium when it comes to trusting and mistrusting people, plus her extra "superpower" of telling if someone was lying is a good benefit in case anyone tries to pose as us. She's also the Saviour and wouldn't change on a dime for anything if it meant giving themselves an advantage...Yes, I'm talking to you, Dad!

Emma nods slowly in agreement.

"We'll keep in touch via text and email and we'll let you guys know when we need to be let back in," I clarify. Hopefully with Brendan in tow.

"We'll also need my mom's help in order to ensure the safety of the town," Henry adds. "If anyone knows about making this place invisible, it's her." We can all agree on that.

Ruby then pipes up. "Shouldn't I stay behind in case there's another wolf attack, you obviously needed me tonight?"

"That would be very unwise," Mason says.

"How come?" Ruby asks, her anger growing a little bit. Clearly, she did not want to leave New York just yet.

"Well, for one thing, if Filtiarn continues getting stronger he might be able to extend his control beyond the wolf pack and influence similar species. If you are around, you may just become one of his slaves."

"And like you're any better?!" Ruby snaps. "You could have died tonight."

"Ruby please try to understand," I say. "This is not something that you or anyone in this room is prepared for, we can't risk putting more lives in danger and that includes yours. We need to be ready for anything. We don't know the extent of Filtiarn's abilities or what the pack is capable of. We need to protect our home and we need someone like you to patrol the woods back home and provide that extra protection," I add.

Ruby moans and then sighs. "Fine, I'll go home, but you guys owe me another trip here!"

"We'll worry about that when the threat has been extinguished," Mason says gravely.

"Then it's settled, tomorrow we head home," Belle says. I can also see some sadness on her face.

I feel a bit sad and guilty. This was supposed to be a sort of 'adventure' for everyone, try something new and get out of the small town, but when a new threat is on the attack, we have to protect the fortress and the soldiers.

I suddenly get an idea. "How about we do one more fun thing before you leave?"

"What is that?" my dad asks.

"Crystal, we shouldn't leave the hotel in case the pack is out there," Mason says.

"Just follow me," I say.

I slip down the hall with the others behind me. I find the stairwell and head up to the roof. I unlock the door using my magic and we all enter the cool night air, the wind blowing through our hair and chilling us quite a lot.

"O-kay, we're on the roof, now what?" Ruby asks.

"Just watch," I say quietly.

With great concentration, the lights of the city go out again. I always ignore the sounds of horns blaring because it might make me feel guilty that I risk causing car accidents in the street. Once we're in the dark, the stars are more visible. With my hands glowing, I begin to move the stars and create streaks of light across the black canvas of the sky. I smile warmly, looking at the others as they stand there in awe and disbelief.

"This is how I maintained control of my magic when I lived here," I whisper as an explanation. Mason puts his arm around my waist and kisses my head as I flick my wrists to make it seem like two streaks of light are racing each other. I make a few stars twirl in circles, making them look almost like yellow fireworks. A feeling of nostalgia washes over me, taking me back to the nights when I did this to let off steam. It also showed me that my magic wasn't all bad and I was capable of creating beauty.

I'm just hoping these powers can be helpful in protecting those I love.


	37. Chapter 37: A Home for My Son

Chapter 37: A Home for My Son

"Please be safe," Belle tells us as we stand in front of the hotel.

Two of the cars are loaded and parked out front, ready to go home to Storybrooke. Tiana has allowed Ruby to drive her truck home with Henry and Belle in the cab of the truck as well. Hook, my dad, and Emma are taking the bug back. Everyone back home has been notified of our entire situation and are preparing for the early return of the traveling caravan.

"We will and the same applies to you," I say before hugging Belle. "Keep my step-sibling safe."

"Likewise for my grandchild," my dad says. I step towards my father. He looks at me in confusion before he reluctantly opens his arms to me. I embrace him and he shifts uncomfortably, clearly not used to the "closeness," but if he wants to be a good father, he's going to have to learn to hug his children.

"I love you, Dad," I say.

There's a pause. "Love you too."

I go over and hug Henry.

"Keep writing those stories," I say to him. "And stay safe."

"You too. Good luck with the courts," he nods before climbing into the cab of the truck along with Belle.

Ruby is next. I hug here extra long as a way to apologize to her for cutting her trip short.

"I'm sorry about how things turned out," I say.

"S'okay," Ruby shrugs. "The town's safety is more important than my own dreams of seeing the world." She can't help put play the guilt card just a little bit longer.

"Don't play that card. You're going to be one of the leaders when it comes to protecting the town. Be proud of that and be wary."

"I will," Ruby nods.

"And say hi to Dorothy for me."

I go over and hug Hook.

"Keep everyone safe," I say.

"Aye, I will and keep that pup inside you safe."

I roll my eyes.

"How long are you going to keep doing the werewolf jokes?" I mutter.

"As long as you are in love with one," Hook smirks. He pats me on the back affectionately. I roll my eyes.

I go to Emma.

"Keep them safe," I say, knowing it'll be her magic that's going to protect the town.

Emma doesn't say anything at first, she just hugs me tightly. I can feel the stress she might be under right now. Her brow is furrowed in anxiety and worry. A Saviour's work never seems to be done. If it were up to me, I'd be sharing some of the burdens with her, but I made a promise to Tiana and I intend to keep it. Brendan deserves a lot more than what he has.

"You'll be okay Emma," I say gently. "Your happy ending will come. I promise."

"Please don't make promises you can't keep," Emma says.

"Can't really help it can I?" I smile, pushing back to look at Emma. "I want to be a savior like you..."

"Trust me, you don't want my job," Emma says quickly.

"But I kind of already have it, don't I?" I smirk. "I'm helping Tia and Naveen get their happy ending."

Emma smiles. "Keep that baby safe and good luck with the courts."

"Thank you," I say. Emma then says goodbye to Mason before everyone climbs into the two vehicles. I feel heavy at that moment, watching my friends leave, back home where they belonged. I would give anything to be with them, but for now, my place is here. Mason puts his arm around me and we wave as Emma pulls from the curb and into traffic, followed by Ruby in the truck. We watch as the cars pull out of sight, back into the big city.

"They'll be okay," Mason says with some forced confidence. "I have faith in them."

"So do I, but I'm more worried about our situation here." I turn to him. "We have a lot of work to do."

"Indeed," Mason smiles before giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. I smile and pull my hand up to cup his face. He may be a werewolf, but he's my werewolf.

I then look over at Tiana and Naveen. They stand at some distance from each other, most likely tolerating each other's company, but then I motion for us to head for the car and the daycare.

...

Brendan is very happy to see Tiana and Naveen. He actually waves to them in excitement. The other kids are happy to see me too, glad that I've come back. It's easy for me to fall back into routine including activity time and story time. I smile practically the whole day, feeling so relaxed and happy. Despite being where I truly belonged in Storybrooke, I missed working here. The joy children will bring you can't be replaced and it kept me balanced with my dark side, looking out for a life more helpless than my own. I felt it was a way to try and make up for all my awful behavior in the past. I know I can't ever escape what I've done, but I can fill my mind with new memories. Much happier ones. I also think about what Mason said that I'm going to be a great mother; despite my reluctance of this statement at first, I'm starting to believe him.

Tiana seems to fit the mother role quite well too. It's obvious she was meant to care for a child, more specifically her own. She asks Bridges if it would be okay to volunteer at the daycare for a little while, just until I stopped working here. The "headmaster" was reluctant at first but since Tiana doesn't want any money she agreed. Naveen also offered to take over music time with the kids temporarily, with much arm-twisting from me. I can tell Bridges is reluctant to let any strangers into the care center, but all the kids come to love both Tiana and Naveen very quickly. Especially Brendan. By the end of the day, Brendan is smiling and he waits eagerly for the other children to leave so he can have a private lesson from his father.

Naveen shows him all the names of the keys and where the best places were to put his fingers. I watch Brendan's tiny hands press the white keys, with his father's nearby, prompting him when he needed it. He starts the boy out with basic tunes and shows him different tricks to remember the notes. The smile on Tiana's face is quite surprising as if the picture of her ex-boyfriend and her adopted son are the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. I see that look in her eye again. That glimmer of affection, but I can't tell if it's towards Naveen or her son. Maybe both?

I begin cleaning up by the piano and I see distinct bruises on Brendan's arms. I look up at his neck and there are finger marks there as well. My breath catches in my throat and I become angry. I try to keep my magic under control. What kind of monster would try to strangle a child?

Soon Brendan's nanny comes to pick him up. She's an aged woman with a sour expression and greasy gray hair pulled back into a bun. She glares at all of us and stands in the doorway, waiting for her charge to get his things.

"Let's go!" she barks at the little boy at the piano.

I see Brendan's happy face contort with fear and he even leans into Naveen, trying to hide a bit. I can tell he wants to avoid being near this woman.

"Please Olga, can't I stay five more minutes?" the kid says.

"No!" she says in a thick Russian accent. "Your mother is coming home and she wants you home too."

Brendan looks over at Naveen.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" he asks, grabbing Prince from the bench.

"Yes," Naveen says gently. "Now go pack your things."

Brendan nods and does as he is told. Olga stands in the doorway, her arms crossed and she's tapping her foot impatiently. Once her charge is finally ready to go, Olga grabs Brendan by the arm very hard and begins pulling him towards the exit. I can see the pain on his face and the fear in his chocolate brown eyes... Tiana's eyes.

I clench my fists angrily. I want to separate the two of them. No one should be manhandling a child like that. I take a few deep breaths and remind myself that we will help him.

But Tiana beats me to it. She rushes out the door after Olga. I realize that this could mean trouble, so I race out after her, Naveen not too far behind.

"Hey!" she barks. "That's a child you're holding, maybe you should be a little gentler."

Olga stops and turns to face Tiana, Brendan still firmly in her grip.

"Do not tell me how to handle children, I've been doing it longer than you have been alive. I've had three of my own and now I watch this one for his mother."

"And look how he's turned out!" Tiana snaps back. "He's afraid of you. He's shy and he won't go near other kids!"

"Tiana..." I say warningly. This kind of stuff should be fought about in court and not in front of the child.

"Children need to learn discipline and to respect their elders," Olga growls.

"But not by manhandling them. There are better ways to teach a child to be nice!" Tiana yells back. She's just a few moments from bursting into tears. Her eyes keep going from Olga's face to Brendan's.

"And you happen to know how to raise a child?"

"Yes, I do. I've had one myself."

"And where might this child be?"

Oh no! I gasp

Naveen reaches over to grab Tiana, but we're too late.

"You're holding him right now!" she barks angrily.

The room goes quiet. Olga's face contorts into confusion and even more. Brendan's eyes go wide for a moment.

"Mommy?" he says softly.

"That is absolute nonsense!" Olga says. "Ms. Gallhager has had this child for five years..."

"And I gave birth to him!" Tiana interrupts tears in her eyes. I know she wants nothing more than to pick up Brendan and carry him away. She wants to take him back to Storybrooke where he can lead a comfortable and loving life. She turns to the five-year-old.

"Brendan honey, I'm you mother and Naveen here is your father. We want to take you home."

Tears are streaming down Brendan's face. I can tell he's confused and scared. He tries to fight Olga's grasp a bit more.

"You are insane. If you know that he is your son then..."

"I have the proof right here," Naveen pipes up. He stands next to Tiana and pulls the folder from my open bag. He holds the folder out and show's Brendan's birth information. He shoves it under Olga's nose. "His full name is Brendan Naveen, James Anderson. He is named after myself and Tiana's father. He was born at exactly 12:27 AM on June 11th, 2010 at Storybrooke General Hospital. He weighed seven pounds and fourteen ounces and came into the world with Tiana's eyes and my hair."

I'm utterly surprised that Naveen is actually standing up for Tiana, just as angry and just as passionate. Then I realize that he's trying to make up for the time he didn't stand beside Tiana, defending her when she was pregnant with Brendan. I can see the fire in his eyes as he glares at the nanny.

Olga takes a step back and actually release Brendan, to which he runs over and wraps his arms around Tiana's legs, dropping Prince in the process and crying the entire way.

"I knew you'd come back for me!" he wails. Tiana picks him up and holds him. "I knew my real mommy would come." He begins to sob again.

"Shhh, it's okay baby boy. It's okay. Mama' here..." Tiana says. I can tell she's been waiting a long time to say those words to him. She bounces him up and down and plants a kiss on his head. I immediately see the family portrait that should have existed from the beginning. Tiana should have always been Brendan's mother, end of the story, but circumstances changed and so did the people around them.

Naveen pats Brendan on the back. All three of them are crying. Brendan clings to Tiana and refuses to let go.

Olga is still processing everything as she looks at the file more closely. She then looks at the crying child.

"Storybrooke isn't a real place," the nanny says with glee in her face. "And unless there is a genetic test that proves otherwise, there is absolutely no way to show that you are this boy's biological parents."

Tiana glares at the woman hatefully and pulls Brendan even closer to her.

Olga smiles again, revealing some crooked front teeth. "It doesn't matter if you are his parents, he has been legally adopted and belongs to Ms. Gallhager."

"He was never meant to be adopted," I say finally. "The parental signatures were forged. Tiana never wanted to give up Brendan."

"You really wanted me, Mommy?" Brendan asks, looking at his real mother.

Tears roll down Tiana's face. "Of course I wanted you, baby. I've wanted you since the day you were born."

I can see Brendan smile.

"But unfortunately as of now, he doesn't belong to you," Olga says. She begins reaching over to grab Brendan from Tiana's arms. "Let's go, Brendan."

Brendan clings tightly to Tiana, refusing to let go.

"NO!" he screams so loudly that Bridges comes running out to see what the problem is.

"You belong to Ms. Gallhager and that is where we're going."

"NO!" he screams even louder. "I WANT TO BE WITH MY REAL MOMMY AND DADDY!"

Olga attempts to grab the boy's shoulders and the kid screams loud enough to wake the dead. He kicks at his nanny. I can tell she really wants to slap him. He tries climbing over into Naveen's arms and I can tell Tiana doesn't want to let him go.

"What's going on here?" Bridges demands.

"This woman is attempting to kidnap this child," Olga immediately says.

"I AM NOT!" Tiana yells as loud as her son. "He came to me and he wants to be with me."

My heart sinks when I realize that we don't have the legal action to take Brendan from his nanny. I feel overwhelmed with the emotions of sadness and fear of what might happen next.

"Do I need to have the police sort this out?" Bridges warns.

I want to badly to zap Bridges and shut her up. This isn't her problem.

Olga again tries to take Brendan and the kids screams his head off, grabbing at Tiana so hard that his fingers are leaving red marks on her skin. His face is a mess of sadness and fear.

I finally step in.

"Tia..." I say gently.

She glares at me, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't say it, Crystal! I don't care what the law says. He's my son and I can't let him be taken away by this monster."

Olga snarls at Tiana and tries to force Brendan off of Tiana, who's still screaming up a storm.

"Tia we don't have the legal action right now. I know you love him and I know you want to take him home, but for now... He has to be with Olga."

Tiana is fighting back more tears as the pain on her face intensifies. Olga is grinning ear to ear at my proclamation.

"Listen to your friend dearie..." she says satisfyingly. "She speaks the truth."

When I hear that word I want to explode outwards and attack this vile woman with my powers. it takes every ounce of strength within me not to fling her against a wall and hold her there. She said that word that is my kryptonite, the thing that sets me off and brings out my inner darkness. It's what makes me want vengeance.

I suck in a sharp breath. I see Bridges has her hands on her phone, ready to call at a moment's notice.

"Don't think that we won't be fighting for custody of him!" I say through gritted teeth. "I want him as far away from you and your abusive ways as possible."

Olga's face goes very pale. I can tell I've just revealed her evil secret.

"That's right," I say with a smile. "I know what you do to this boy. I know you've tried to strangle him and beat him when he's bad. It's why he's so shy and so afraid. You're the reason he suffers..."

Olga actually stops trying to fight for Brendan. Her eyes are filled with panic and dread at what I've just said.

"We will be bringing this to court and I'm sure you can be charged for child abuse." I feel so much satisfaction saying these words. No one should be allowed to hit a child and get away with it. "We will keep fighting until he's away from you and his adopted mother. None of you should be allowed near children and I want to make sure of that."

Olga's mouth opens for a moment like she wants to say something and then closes it. I've left her speechless. Oh, the pleasure of exposing a monster, I've done it before with my father and I'll do it again with this woman.

A few minutes go by as the scene remains tense, breaths held in, waiting for a move.

I look over at Tiana. I want more than anything to allow her to take her son home, but right now, we don't have that power. Tiana begins to sob ever harder and Naveen puts his arm around her. She leans into him and holds Brendan's head close to her chest. She cries even harder as she puts her son down and kneels down to his height. She lifts his head up so that they are eye to eye.

"Listen, Baby," she says through her sobs. "Daddy and I are going to bring you home really soon. You won't have to see this evil woman again, I promise." Tiana swallows hard. Naveen kneels down with them and grabs his son's hand.

"We will do everything to have you at home," Naveen says gently. Brendan looks miserably at them.

"You've got a Grandma at home, waiting to bake you cookies and read you stories at bedtime, but for now, you're going to have to go with Olga."

"No!" the child says stubbornly.

"Just for a little while Baby," Tiana says. "We promise we will come and get you."

"No, no, no, no!" Brendan whines. "I want to be with you now."

"I know you do, but if we take you right now, we'll get in trouble. I know you can't understand it and I can hardly understand it myself, but for now, be on your best behaviour for Olga and we will come for you. Okay?"

"Both of you?" I whisper gently. Naveen shoots me a look telling me to shut up. Brendan is crying again, he holds onto Tiana's and Naveen's hands tightly. I know he wants to stay with them, live a happier life with them, but...

"Promise?" Brendan whimpers.

"I promise," Tiana whispers.

"I promise," Naveen says gently.

Brendan leans forward and hugs Tiana tightly. He's crying again, never wanting to let go. I can tell the feeling is mutual. Tiana kisses her son on the head. Naveen goes over and picks up Prince from the floor, he's fighting back his own tears. Brendan goes over to Naveen and hugs him too. Naveen rubs his hand down his son's back and pats it gently to let him know he is loved by both his parents.

"This was mine growing up," Naveen says, handing the stuffed frog back over to the little boy. "I wanted to make sure that you had it. He kept me safe and happy when I was scared and I'm glad to know he's doing the same for you..."

Naveen wipes a few tears from his eyes and Brendan hugs Prince tightly.

"I'll miss you, Daddy," Brendan says in a barely audible voice.

"I'll miss you two Buddy," Naveen croaks.

I step forward and kneel down to face the little boy. I reach over from around my neck and remove the locket. I place it around his neck. His chocolate brown eyes light up in happiness and he manages a small smile.

"Remember to believe," I say gently.

He nods knowingly, I take his hand and guide him back to Olga. I feel like I'm tearing away a piece of Tiana and Naveen. Their beautiful boy from where he belongs. He picks up his bag and Olga grabs his hand a little more gently this time. I give her a warning look before the two turn and walk towards the door. I see him look back once before they disappear outside.

Tiana sobs loudly into her hands Naveen reaches over and hugs her. She gladly accepts it in the heat of the moment, leaning into her ex-boyfriend with no hate or resentment, just sadness. I can see she's grateful for the comfort.

Bridges mutters something before heading back into the classroom. I follow her and I scoop up my phone from the nearby table. I know what I have to do now. I have to call two places.

One, Children's Aid,

Two, Alisa's apartment.


	38. Chapter 38:

Chapter 38: Feud Between a Princess and Her Frog

"Thanks for meeting with us Raymond," I say as we sit at the kitchen island in his and Alisa's apartment. Raymond has a notepad and stacks of legal documents and books. He even has a tape recorder out to document the session. Alisa brings over a tray to snacks and lemonade. Mason puts his arm around my waist, giving me the silent support I need. Tiana and Naveen sit next to me, their eyes still red and raw from their confession to their son. It actually surprised me how accepting Brendan was of what Tiana told him, but I guess when you have a neglectful mother and an abusive nanny, you're willing to go to anyone who will give you love and affection.

"It's no problem," Raymond says, slipping his reading glasses on.

"Now let me get this straight," he says. "You two conceived your son back in September of 2009?"

"Yes..." Naveen says, turning bright red. "We can assume that it was just after Tia...Tiana's birthday."

Tiana also blushes very hard and the two look away from each other in embarrassment.

"Please excuse me, I know this is personal but I have to go over all the details and get a sense of the timeline."

Both parents nod.

"So when did you suspect you were pregnant Tiana?"

"I think it was around Halloween. I was eating a lot of chocolate and anything sweet. I spent a lot of my tip money on anything with sugar in it. I also had dizzy spells and did throw up quite a few times. My mama suspected that I might be carrying a baby and I took a test to confirm it."

"Alright, and when did you tell Naveen?"

"A couple of days later," Tiana says. "It took that long for me to process it myself. It was very overwhelming and I kept thinking about the future."

"Tiana, you did not want to give up Brendan, correct?"

"Right," Tiana says. "I was going to keep him regardless of whether Naveen was going to help me or not. I just knew I wouldn't have the heart to give my baby to anyone else. But I was scared."

"Of course you would be and how did you react Naveen?"

Naveen swallows at Tiana looks at him with a sort of sharp and discontent look.

"Not well..." he admits. "I was definitely surprised and also very worried. I almost wanted to accuse her of lying to me or that it was a mistake but I didn't really say anything until..."

"Until I told him I was keeping the baby no matter what he said," Tiana interrupts. "I told him that I would like for him to be supportive even if it scared him, it scared me obviously. At the time, I was in no way ready to raise an infant, working two waitressing jobs, but my mama said that she would be there every step of the way and I could tell that she was happy to be getting a grandchild."

"And what did you think after that Naveen?" Raymond asks.

"To be honest...I was worried about what my parents would say."

Tiana rolls her eyes and shifts away from Naveen. She pours herself some more lemonade to hide her frustration. It's clear she still hated him for abandoning her and she'll probably never forgive him for it, but the two have made some progress in terms of liking and respecting each other again.

"Your parents are definitely a key component here. Your parents are quite wealthy correct?"

Naveen nods. "My dad's a successful business man and my mom a stock broker and at the time, they were paying for everything for me. I didn't have a job and was basically free-loading."

"That's for sure," Tiana says, taking another sip of lemonade. I shoot Tiana a sharp look, warning her to keep quiet.

"So yes, I was concerned because they wanted to keep that smart, successful image and a son who wanted to be a musician and was dating a waitress was not considered 'ideal' in their eyes. They are also very traditional so having a child out of wedlock was not great either."

I can hear Tiana grinding her teeth in frustration.

"But at the time, I knew I loved Tiana and I wanted to protect her and the baby."

"When did they find out?"

"Around my sixth month," Tiana says.

"Yes, they came to the restaurant Tiana was working at and saw her baby bump and... all hell broke loose."

Tia sucks in a sharp breath. "They practically humiliated me in front of the entire restaurant. I thought that this was the worst moment of my life. Eventually, Naveen managed to take the confrontation outside..."

"And what happened?" Raymond asks.

"My parents screamed every sort of phrase they could at us. Calling me an embarrassment, that I shamed the family and they called Tia things that I won't repeat. Then they turned their anger on Tiana asking her why she didn't use contraception or even terminate the pregnancy..."

"But I stood my ground," Tiana says fiercely. "I told them I didn't give a damn about their reputation, that this was my baby and not theirs. I told them I wasn't even going to let them near the baby and I was going to raise it no matter what they said."

"They then turned back to me," Naveen says. "And they gave me an ultimatum, either I convince Tia to give up the baby or they'd cut me off completely."

Naveen's dark eyes tear up and he slouches a bit. This is clearly embarrassing for him and I know he doesn't want to Tiana to hear it again.

"And what did you say?" Raymond says.

"I...I told them I'd try to convince her to give our baby up..."

I hear Alisa gasp slightly. It was not the answer she expected and I can tell that this will color her opinion of him. I can also tell that she wants to shout at him and ask him why he would do that, but this is important documentation for court so she has to keep her opinions to herself. Naveen looks down at his shoes and basically tries to shrink into the background a bit... but he has to own up to what he did. Yes, he made a big mistake and yes, it cost him Tiana and most of her respect for him, but we've all made bad mistakes, more than out fair share it seems and we need to own them. We need to become resilient and learn from them, change ourselves for the better...

"After he said that, I lost it!" Tiana grumbles. "I shouted and screamed obscenities at him, telling him that we were over and he would never have contact with our baby and neither would his parents. After that, I left him and his parents standing there in the parking lot and I thought that was the end of it."

"But it wasn't," Naveen groans in guilt.

"Your parents procured a lawyer to have both your parental rights revoked?" Raymond asks.

Naveen nods. "Their reasoning was that I was unemployed, no fit at all to be a father and I couldn't provide child support."

"And for Tiana?"

"She was working two jobs, she would be unable to be there for her child..."

"Much like how Brendan's mother is right now," I mutter to myself.

"And you and your mother tried to fight the courts right, Tiana?"

"Yes," she answers. "My mother mortgaged our house to try and pay for a lawyer, but..."

Tiana breaks down into tears. She holds her hands over her eyes in embarrassment and grief. She can't believe she lost her son because she couldn't afford to pay someone to fight for him. The justice system can be used in really twisted ways sometimes. My stomach turns in anger, wishing I could've helped Tiana back then. I couldn't imagine having the baby I'm carrying, ripped away from me after it is born. The thought kills me. My mother almost went through the same thing with me, giving me to my dad for her "protection!" Thankfully, she followed her heart and... fell into a magical portal... Obviously, Tiana didn't have that option and ended up suffering a lot for it.

"We lost the case, but I still refused to sign the paper that gave away my parental rights," Tiana whispers. "But my pregnancy got complicated in the last few months... I went into labour like I was supposed to, but he was in breech position so they had to do a cesarean... and while I was under... Those bastards you call parents forged my signature and had my baby taken away!" Tiana breaks down even further. She puts her head on the counter of the island and continues to sob in what feels like agony.

I can see that Naveen actually wants to hug Tiana. He keeps leaning in, putting his arm out and then retracts it repeatedly, changing his mind. I give him a look to just give her a comforting hug.

Reluctantly, he puts his arm around her... Tia at first bolts up in shock and attempts to slap Naveen across the face, clearly she still has a lot of rage built up inside her, despite their close moment when reuniting with Brendan. I can see the anger in her eyes. Five years of pain from having her child taken away and five years of aggravation towards the man she thought she loved so much who in the end betrayed her... I can't imagine her pain. She looks at Naveen with fury in her eyes until she notices he was just trying to comfort her so she back off.

"Stay away from me!" Tiana practically growls. "You did this to me! I don't need your sympathy! Where was it five years ago?!"

"I'm sorry Tia...Tiana, I know that will never make up for what I did, but I am sorry..."

Tiana stares at Naveen for a long few moments, her eyebrows scrunched together in deep concentration and rage. She scans his face, looking for the wimpy and cowardly man she hated so passionately, but she doesn't see it. Instead, she sees a man who's also been beaten down and heartbroken by the loss of their child and is willing to bury the hatchet in order to get him back. He seems to want to do anything to make it up to her. He knows he hurt her, the guilt on his face is very clear, but he tries to show some strength and compassion to the woman he once loved...

Tiana takes a few deep breaths, calming herself just enough. I hand her a few napkins to wipe her eyes and Alisa gets Tiana some water. She drinks it slowly as if stalling before speaking to Naveen.

"I know you're sorry Naveen, but it doesn't make me hate you any less for what you've done."

"That's fair," Naveen says. "I know you'll never forgive me, but I will do anything to try and make it up to you...In fact, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to help you move past this. Till my dying breath... That is guaranteed..."

Tiana stares at him for a long while. She's looking for a reason to yell at him further but is finding none. His sincerity is genuine, his sadness, real and his regret, very deep.

"I'll let you try," Tiana mutters before turning back to Raymond. Alisa has found her way to him and has her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning on him in a sort of awkward hug. Raymond readjusts and looks at his notes. He clears his throat.

"So what's the next step?" I ask, trying to bring the conversation back to the point.

Raymond scrolls through his notes and circles important details.

"We need to build a case..." he says. "And it will not be easy by any means. Crystal, you have call child services, but Brendan's current mother can easily just fire...Olga, did you say her name was? and get a new nanny. We have to prove that Ms. Gallahger is neglectful and is not worthy of raising the child,"

"Easier said than done," I say. "She's managing partner of one of the top law firms in New York."

"I'm well aware," Raymond says. "That's why we'll have to bring in a few more lawyers to help us. I can probably get the best in our firm."

"Wait, you're not a lawyer?" Tiana asks.

Raymond shakes his head. "Not yet, I'm only a temp right now. I'm working on my Juris Doctor Degree and then I have to pass the Bar Examination, but this case will definitely help me gain experience and good connections with the firm."

"At least more than one person will be benefitting from this," I say.

"And then we'll have to prove to a judge that you guys are good parents, which means you have to have steady jobs and the stable home environment and then there's always the question of split custody..." Raymond trails off as he looks at Tiana and Naveen, who look at each other in confusion and nervously. The two had not even talked about sharing custody, they had only been determined to get their son back. The questions hover in the room like some kind of aura. Is Tiana willing to allow Naveen to see their son? What about the restaurant? Who will get main custody? What about Naveen's parents? It makes me a little nervous about what the answers to those questions might be. I wonder what will happen with this custody case. Even with the anger and hatred, Tiana feels towards Naveen, I know she wouldn't cut her son off from his father...not completely anyways. She knows what it's like not to grow up with a father and she has seen everyone around her do the same... Is she willing to deprive her son of a father? The two already seem to be bonding over music, will she sever that tie? Does she think Naveen will be a good father? All the questions linger, making the air very heavy around us. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife.

"Have we discussed custody at any point?" Raymond

"No," Tiana squeaks.

"Well...I can walk you through the options later on if you'd like, there's more than one way you both can see Brendan."

"O-Okay," Tiana swallows.

"We also need to file forgery charges against the parents to even consider custody," Raymond goes on. "It should be pretty open-shut with handwriting comparisons and both of your sworn statements, but we will have to bring them to court."

A lump appears in Naveen's throat.

"You mean... we're going to have to see my parents?"

"That's the plan," Raymond says with a confused look. "Is that a problem

"Yes... it is," Naveen says. "If you think your dad is bad Crystal, you haven't met my parents."


	39. Chapter 39: Fate and Family Ties

"Is this really all your stuff?" I ask in amazement. I wipe sweat from my brow. The pregnancy thing is not working out when it comes to having a lot of energy. I love our baby, but he or she is wearing me out already.

We're going through Mason's things in his apartment, finding what to toss and what to move to Storybrooke. We do plan to stay in his place for at least a little while until the Brendan custody stuff can be sorted out, but I preferred that I transport and extra stuff to Storybrooke now, in case we need to leave in a hurry.

"Well, being in a wolf pack until I was seventeen did not exactly leave me very many earthly possessions."

"No kidding," I say. I look through his closet for anything worth saving. We pack his clothes into boxes. Anything sentimental is also packed, but furniture we agreed to sell. He got most of them second hand and he always liked my apartment furniture better. We also need to make room for a new baby as well.

"Well, after my father came to this world from living in excess, he decided to raise me to live a simpler kind of life," Mason adds. He's sorting through his bookcase.

I find a cardboard box on one of the shelves labeled Crystal. I open it and gasp.

"What is it?" Mason asks. He stands up on high alert.

He's slightly on edge... I guess we all are considering the wolf threat. I've cast a security spell around the place to warn us if any wolves decide to approach. I did this with help from my dad. I also ask about casting a protection spell on Brendan. It feels weird that we're bonding over magic spells of all things, but it gives us a chance to talk.

Tears fill my eyes. I smile and reach down into the. There are little mementos and photos of our relationship. A jar of sand from the beach we shared our first kiss on. Photos of us at birthday parties, Christmas parties, our hike in the Himalayas, us helping at the soup kitchen and just random selfies. My shawl that got stained with mud when we were on a date together and I slipped in the heels I was wearing. A rose taped to a card that I made for him for our first Valentine's day. A stuffed bear he won for me when we went to Long Island. An empty perfume bottle that once held my favourite scent. Masks and noise makers from a New Year's party and the alien antennae I wore for a Halloween costume. A pair of broken sandals and I remember that these were the ones that ripped and he promised to fix them. A pair of pajamas, some of my old CDs, some nail polish, and a few old t-shirts. Stacked on top of everything else is the book of classic fairy tales, the one I dropped in the library the first time we met. I guess he bought it from the library or just never returned it.

"I never knew you were so sentimental," I whisper, looking through some of the photos. "You could have thrown this junk out a long time ago."

Mason comes up and kneels down next to me. He nuzzles my neck.

"I never wanted to forget you," he whispers in my ear. "You're aroma was so soothing to me."

"That's the dog in you talking," I mutter as he kisses my neck.

"I had to hide everything after we broke up in case the wolves came looking through here in search of your scent."

"I appreciate that. It might be a good idea to keep this stuff because...after we broke up the first time, my...magic kicked in and let's just say CDs and a bulletin board make a good dart board... I ended up... destroying a lot of our photos together." I blush really hard, embarrassed about what I did in a fit of rage, over something so stupid.

Mason kisses my cheek. "It's okay sweetheart, I understand. I knew your powers were unpredictable when I met you."

"So this stuff can go to our new home," I say, adding it to the Storybrooke pile.

I continue digging until most of the closet is cleaned out. His clothes are in boxes, books in bags, unneeded furniture on Ebay and anything else he wants to keep piled by the door.

I notice something on the top shelf at the very back. I can't reach it so I use my magic to bring it over to me.

It's another box, but very dusty and very old. I can't imagine what's inside it.

"Hey, Mason," I say. "What's in here?"

Mason comes over to me.

"You got me, sweetheart..." Mason says. "It was something from my father's cottage that I never saw before until after I left the pack and until now. I hid it because I never had the heart to open it."

"Like I did with my mother's box," I sigh. I'm very curious to know what's in it, but at the same time, Mason had his reasons for not opening it, like I did for mine.

"Is it okay if we open it now?"

Mason bites his lip hard and I see tears come to the surface. He reluctantly nods.

I open it and what's inside shocks us both.

There's an assortment of memories, small little things from a life that had passed on, much like my mother's box. There's stack of papers which seem to have ancient runes on them, yellowed and torn from age. There is a small necklace made of copper, a tiny chain with a small heart on the end. Even though it has rusted a lot, we can still make out the engravement of Juliette, my love. This must have been something Mason's father made for his mother. There is a copy of Romeo and Juliet in there as well, but when we get a closer look, we see that most of the last act has been ripped out as if to symbolize that the ending didn't matter any longer. There are sonnets written to Mason's father from his mother as a sort if return gift. There is a statue made of iron of a flower and several other small keepsakes obviously crafted by Charles, Phelps, the black smith's slave. There is a small tea cup made of china and a crown of small roses, dried and brittle from being in a box for so long. Buried in a small velvet box are two golden bands as well as a diamond ring set in elegant silver. I choke up, realizing that these were Mason's parent's wedding rings and his mother's engagement ring. I immediately regret opening the box, it feels like I'm intruding into someone else's life. The little things that the family had to express each other's love is a great story, but also heartbreaking considering the ending.

On top of everything, there's a portrait of Mason's parents and a book about werewolf legends. I assume one was to be able to handle the Shadow Clan and the werewolf son, Charles Phelps ended up raising.

I take a look at the painted portrait of Mason's parents. They both look so young and so in love. Standing over his wife is a tall man with Mason's hair colour and face, but with hazel eyes that show a sort of softness to them. His square chin and sort of trimmed beard which adds an extra amount of nobility to his appearance. I notice his right arm is crooked and bent out of shape at a weird angle, indicating the accident that made him unable to be a true blacksmith. His nobility does no justice to the beautiful woman next to him. Her eyes are a bright blue, almost like Hook's, but a bit darker, much like Mason's irises. Her long blonde hair is pulled up into a fairly elegant hairstyle, but it allows some curls to fall down on her smiling cheeks. Her red lips are pulled back into a loving smile, one you can definitely tell was genuine and warm. She had her own dimples on her chin and cheeks, making her seem like the happiest woman on earth. I can't help but smile and cry at the same time. This would probably be the only time I'll ever see Mason's parents and it makes me even sadder to realize that they never got to be a true family with little Mason as the wolves held up their end of a bloody deal. I start to wonder what both of them were like, obviously from the little trinkets that Mason's father made, he loved Juliette and was devoted to her. He was her one and only love and she returned the favour by writing sonnets to him. It's the kind of love that everyone wants to have. I see it with Snow and David, Emma and Hook, Henry and Violet...I want to see it with my Dad and Belle, but that's a little more complicated. I hope that Mason and I have it too, but we won't allow any wolves to destroy it.

I look up at Mason and I see him crying. I grab his hand and kiss it gently.

"You look like your father," I say gently.

Mason nods and wipes a few tears from his eyes.

"After all these years, wondering what she looked like..." Mason sighs deeply. I feel the sadness in his voice. He never got to meet his mother, learn about her likes and dislikes, her hopes and dreams. This box can only offer so much into their lives. It's a box of ghosts, but also a box of memories... happy memories.

"Do you think we should frame this and hang it in the apartment?" I ask after a long while.

Mason nods. "I want to be able to see them and let them know I'm okay. I also want our child to know about his or her grandparents, to see them watching over the family with those happy smiles..."

I stand up and kiss Mason on the lips. "You are quite clearly the best of both your parents..."

"I wish I could say the same about you," Mason jokes.

...

One month later...

My phone buzzes on the nightstand. I reach over sleepily and grab it.

"Crystal?" Emma's voice comes over the speaker.

"Hey Emma," I check the clock. "It's after two, what's wrong?"

"I can't sleep," she says. I hear her voice cracking slightly and her breath is labored, "So much is happening and I just need someone to talk to..."

I take the phone into the other room so I won't disturb Mason any further.

"What's wrong Emma,"

A lot has happened since I left Storybrooke two months ago. Apparently, the protection spell Emma cast, couldn't keep characters from The Land of Untold Stories from arriving, including Aladdin and Jasmine, who are on my bucket list to meet. Regina also managed to separate from her Evil Queen persona, thanks to Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. She also ended up losing her beloved Robin after a scuffle with Hades. I wept for several hours after I heard the news, thinking about little Roland and baby Robin who were now without a father. I sent flowers as a form of condolences and offered comfort to Regina on the phone is she needed it. The mourning for the hero did not last long as the Evil Queen has now invaded Storybrooke with her own evil agenda. I feel bad for not being there to give them extra firepower, but the other's agree it's better My dad and Belle also had a falling out involving a sleeping curse and she was staying with Hook. I was kind of sad about this, meaning my dad had no one holding him back, but at the same time I wasn't surprised. My dad is so damn unpredictable, that it was better to be safe than sorry when it came to my step-sibling.

"It's just so hard Crystal..."

"What being the Saviour or dealing with all the characters there?"

"Both," Emma says. She's panting hard. I can tell there's more to this.

"There's something you're not telling me," I say.

The other end of the line is quiet.

"Emma, what's wrong?" I insist. "What did you encounter?"

Silence.

"Emma, you're costing us both minutes here, but at this point, I'm more concerned for your well-being. So spill it."

More silence.

"EMMA!" I say insistently. "I don't care if you burden me with something, but you clearly need to get this off your chest, share the load or whatever you want to call it. I won't tell anyone I promise. Remember what I said about me wanting your Saviour job...? We can share the job, at least for now." I know I'm far from the Saviour type, but I am helping someone get their happy ending, which is part of the job.

I hear her sigh.

"Emma, I'm just someone who will listen, tell me what happened."

It takes a little more coaxing to get Emma to spill. She spends half an hour telling me the whole story, from meeting the oracle, to the horrifying vision, to the tremors in her hand, Aladdin's tale, and the fate shears, which she had to explain to me in more detail so I could understand it. I hear the fear in her voice and the dread of the coming event. I've always seen Emma as a calm and brave woman, and to see this vulnerable side of her is a little unusual.

I listen intently, but what can you really say to someone who might have seen their own death. What do you do in the face of death? We all fear it and it will happen one day to all of us. It's what makes us unique, it's what makes us mortal. Yet, no one wants to die before their time and if this hooded figure succeeds, Storybrooke won't have a Saviour anymore. It's a terrifying prospect, plus the hooded figure and Emma's tremors are an added source of worry. Plus she can't change her fate or if she tries with these shears, things might just get worse.

She's only told Hook about it and she's afraid to burden her parents further. The Evil Queen has set a new kind of sleeping curse with her parents, where one is asleep and the other is awake, meaning they can never be together at the same time. This breaks my heart further and makes me want to go back home so badly. I really want to strangle the Evil Queen or allow her to face me, a formidable opponent. But something tells me that this is a bad idea, that I'm not as skilled as the evil witch, plus she looks like Regina and I don't want to turn into the heartless woman in any way. I fear that if I kill someone, I'll become my father and completely ruin my life, Mason's life and our baby's. I just listen to Emma, a frown, and few tears coming down my face.

After she's done, I hear her sigh in what seems like a relief.

"I still want your job," I say hoping she'll laugh.

I hear her sigh again.

"I'm really sorry Em, I really am," I say. "Humor is just my coping mechanism. I also really don't know what to say. I really want to be there for you, to help you... Change fate if I could..."

I sigh. "What do you say to a friend except that you love them and you want them to have hope. If you don't have hope, you've lost everything..."

Emma is silent for a while.

"I am sorry Emma, but you can't give up, the vision only showed you...you know... you have healing abilities, maybe we can save you... Maybe I can, if you teach me how to heal."

I hear Emma chuckle slightly. "I'd be happy to when you come home..."

We're silent for a little while longer.

"Thanks, Crystal," she finally says.

"For what?" I ask, yawning.

"For listening, for sharing the burden, for giving me hope..."

"It's what keeps me going everyday Em," I smile. "It's what my mom raised me to believe in, and it's how I'll raise my baby to believe in, that and magic."

Emma laughs a little bit this time and it makes me smile wider. I then yawn again, a lot more loudly and exaggerated.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Emma apologizes. "I didn't mean to make another insomniac, I guess I just needed someone to talk to. For some reason, my fingers dialed your number."

"It's okay, I consider you my sister Emma and I want you to know that you can tell me anything."

"Thank you Crisi," Emma teases.

"I take it back now," I groan, hating the nickname. "Only the kids are allowed to call me that."

"Good night Crystal,"

"Good night Emma,"

...

A week later my phone buzzes again.

"Hey, Emma, What's up?" I ask.

"Uhhh, how to put this in a way you'll understand. Your dad has flipped his lid again and gone on the attack."

"Anything else new?" I say sarcastically, but then I become concerned. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, Rumpel did try to strangle Hook, though, and to stop him we needed squid ink. As a result, Belle's pregnancy had to be sped up."

"Oh God," I gasp. "Just like you did with Zelena and Robin?"

I can hear Emma groan slightly.

"Sorry," I apologize. "Different discussion, what's happened?"

"Well... you're a big sister..."


	40. Chapter 40: Confrontation

"Is Belle okay?" I ask.

"She's fine, really tired, but fine," Emma answers.

"And the baby?"

There's a pause.

"It's a boy and he's fine, very healthy."

"That's good to hear," I smile. So happy that I have a brother. "What's his name?" I ask eagerly.

There's a long pause and I hear movement on the other end of the line.

"His name is Gideon," she says in a low voice.

"Gideon.." I sigh. "Such a noble name."

"Belle told me that when she was under the sleeping curse and Rumpel traveled to the Land of Untold Stories and the Temple of Morpheus. He used sand to get into Belle's dreams, Morpheus as his guide. They both learned that Morpheus was in the form of their son and she decided to name him after one of her favourite book characters."

I'm crying , so happy that I have a baby brother. I just can't believe it My phone suddenly buzzes. Emma has sent me a picture of Belle and the baby.

"He's beautiful," I croon. I see a lot of my father in him, but he does have Belle's fair skin and hair. "I can't wait to meet him."

There's a long silence on the end.

"What?" I ask.

"That's going to be a problem," Emma says.

"What do you mean?" I gasp, assuming the worst. "My dad didn't..."

"No... he didn't but I think Belle can explain this the best..." My heart is pounding as I hear the phone being handed to someone else.

"Hello Crystal," Belle says in a weak voice.

"Belle what happened? Where's my baby brother?!"

"He's safe," is the answer.

"What do you mean he's safe?" I swallow hard, feeling my rage slowly boiling inside me. I bite my lip hard.

"Blue the Good Fairy is his fairy godmother and she... she... she sent him away."

"WHAT?!" I scream. The lights flicker around me and tears stream down my face. "Belle why...? Why? WHY?!" I flop down into a chair out of pure shock. I'm alone in the apartment, Mason went out to get groceries. I was hanging around before I had to meet with Tia, Naveen, and Raymond.

"To protect him. Rumpel was trying to age me so I wouldn't be able to care for him and steal him... so Blue sent him some place where he might be safe..."

I'm weeping in the chair now.

"Now I don't even get to meet my baby brother?!" I shout into the speaker. The light bulb above me explodes and I realize I'm screaming at my weakened step-mother. I take a deep breath and soften my voice. "I'm sorry Belle, I'm just..."

"I understand," Belle says weakly. I can hear her short breaths indicating she's crying as well. "Your father can't be trusted, Crystal..."

"Tell me something I don't know," I moan.

"He ruined Bae's life, then yours, I wasn't going to let him have the chance to ruin G- the new baby's life."

"Why aren't you calling him..."

"In case he's listening," Belle cuts me off. "As long as he doesn't know the baby's name, he can't find him."

"There might be a few flaws in that plan," I mutter. " But there's something you're not telling me Belle. What happened during that sleeping curse you were under?"

"Morpheus told me to not give Rumpel a chance to ruin the family like he did the first time. He made me promise in exchange for true love's kiss to wake me up. With all his lies and his deceit, I just couldn't risk it anymore..." Belle breaks down and weeps into the phone.

I'm mad again, but not at Belle, at him. Of course, it's him. It's ALWAYS him. He's ruined everyone's life, stomped on so many hearts, torn apart so many families. I know Belle is trying to prevent this from happening, but a child should never be separated from his or her parent. I thought this new baby would be my Dad's chance to turn over a new leaf, he even told me he wanted to be a good father for this baby...I guess he lied... again...

"Get some rest Belle," I say quietly. "I'll talk to you guys soon."

"Good-bye, Crystal," Belle says.

I hang up the phone and toss it onto the chair I was sitting on. I'm fuming so much that the windows of Mason's apartment are rattling. My powers are so strong right now, I could probably level a city block, but I have to keep it under control... for now.

I pick up the phone and dial Mason's number.

"Hello Sweetheart, what's up?"

"Belle just had her baby," I tell him.

"She... she did? I thought she was just a few months in?"

"She was until my dad sped up her pregnancy, I should also mention that he was trying to age her so she wouldn't be able to care for it."

"What? How?" Mason asks.

"By some kind of aging spell or something, I don't know the details but Emma pulled the speedy pregnancy thing before with Zelena."

"So you have a sibling?" Mason says, still trying to process the news.

"A brother. It's a healthy baby boy and his name is Gideon."

"That's great we'll have to go meet him..."

"We can't," I say.

"Why?"

"He's been sent away," I explain.

"W-what?" Mason gasps.

"Belle gave him to Blue the fairy and she sent him somewhere safe, away from my father."

Mason stammers in confusion as he tries to comprehend what I just said. I begin pacing the floor waiting for him to respond. After a few moments, he does.

"What has your father done?"

"I want to know the same, that's why I'm going to confront him."

"WHAT?! Crystal you can't..."

"I have to Mason..."

"No! Y-you don't have to you..."

"I need to know the truth and I can't wait two months before we go back. I need answers now. I'll tell Tiana and Naveen that I can't make it."

"But Crystal the trip..."

"You forgot that I can teleport didn't you?" I ask.

"Yes," Mason admits.

"I'll be back in less than a day I promise."

"But the baby and what about the Evil Queen and the barrier around Storybrooke?"

"I'll make sure the baby is protected, Emma can let me through the barrier and I'll be so fast that she won't know I was there."

"Crystal..."

"Please Mason, this is my family... I need to know."

There's a long pause before Mason sighs. "Nothing I say will change your mind will it?"

"Not this time Sweetheart," I say.

"Please stay safe," he begs.

"I will, I love you," I say.

"I love you too."

I hang up and then call Tiana and Naveen. I tell them that there's a family emergency and I have to teleport back home. They are confused at first, but Tiana takes it as a chance to see how far her restaurant is coming. She hired Ruby and some of the dwarves from town to work on her restaurant while she's in New York. They communicate via webcam, but she wants to see the progress in person. I told her my trip was going to be quick, but that I could stop by. To be honest, I do not want to be in town right now with Mr. Hyde and especially the Evil Queen running around. I plan to be fast and efficient. I pull on a hoodie and shoes, pocket my phone and then I pause at the door.

I realize that I have overlooked something extremely important. My teleportation. I've never done long distances before. I could transport multiple people, but that was in a moment of desperation. I haven't had the chance to practice since I went back to work and I've been on guard because of the wolves. I can go short distances fairly accurately, and even then, my aiming is not always great. I know I have to get to Storybrooke now, I need to confront my father. I decide I should just do my very best. I concentrate the hardest I ever have. I picture the border of Storybrooke so clearly in my head. The anger towards my father is fueling my power, hopefully, this means I can teleport further. My dad could do it, Regina could do it, Emma probably could do it, so I had to learn to do it.

I shut my eyes and snap my fingers.

...

After much effort and many snaps, I manage to teleport to the border of Storybrooke. I conjure up a little bit of energy and launch it at the town sign. The small purple orb is absorbed by the barrier, creating a ripple in the clear protective shield. I expected this, I whip out my phone and dial Emma's number.

"Hey Crystal..." she begins.

"I'm at the border of Storybrooke, let me in," I order.

"Wha-?"

"I have someone to confront..."

"Crystal that's not a good..."

"I don't care about Regina's other half. I care about my brother and kicking some sense into my dad."

"Cris..."

"Emma, you've seen me when I'm angry, please, please don't make it worse."

There's a long pause followed by a heavy sigh.

"I'll be right there," she mutters. She hangs up.

I wait patiently at the border until I see Emma approaching with Henry and Hook. Henry and Hook smile when they see me, Henry even manages to wave. Emma comes to the edge of the town line and her hand glows white for a few moments. I see the form of a doorway open up and I step through the clear field. I give Henry and Hook a hug and then I hug Emma an extra long time. She pats my back in appreciation.

"I can't keep this open for very long," Emma warns me. "With the Evil Queen around, it's hard to leave or enter Storybrooke in general. This barrier is supposed to keep the threats out, but I can't guarantee the ability to get out. With the Evil Queen on the inside and the wolves on the outside, it's hard not to feel more trapped than usual. At least this barrier prevents the threat from leaving."

"I won't be long I promise," I say before I snap my fingers. I teleport to the shop. I barge right in without knocking and storm through the back curtain. My dad is sitting in a chair and I catch him completely off guard. I hurtle him against the back wall and pin him there.

"You son of a bitch," I growl. "You wonder why no one actually tries to show you kindness?"

My father is absolutely stunned by my appearance and struggles against my power, but my anger makes him more powerful than him. I believe that there might be a link between our abilities, allowing me to be stronger when I'm faced with his Dark One powers. I think this might be the love from my mother coursing through my veins.

"How could you?" I hiss angrily, tears coming to the surface. "How could you think about aging her so you could have him and then you speed up her pregnancy anyways?!"

"I...I didn't..." Rumpel sputters, fighting my grip. "The Evil Queen did. She spiked Belle's tea."

"But you still wanted to age her..." I say. I tighten my grip. "DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Yes..." he gasps.

"Why?!" I shriek. "Why make everything worse than it already is?!"

"Because that child is my only chance of ever being loved..."

I almost hurtle him through the wall when he says that. Tears stream down my face and grind my teeth together.

"HOW MUCH MORE OF A BASTARD CAN YOU BE?!" I shout. The objects around us begin to shake as my rage hits overdrive. "How much more selfish could you be?! I thought you couldn't get any more stupid and you pull stunts like this."

I swallow hard, but I loosen my grip just a bit so he can be alive for what I say next.

"MILAH LOVED YOU! CORA LOVED YOU! MY MOTHER LOVED YOU! BAE LOVED YOU! BELLE LOVES YOU, I LOVE YOU...! You act like YOU ARE the victim here. Like you automatically deserve our love and respect, that just because you're powerful, you deserve to have everything. You think because everyone else hates you that you aren't loved? Well, that might just come true! You really are the Dark One if you can't see love when it's right in front of you!" I wipe a few tears from my eyes. My throat burns with anger, sweat beading on my forehead and my hands are red hot. The floor of the shop continues to shake with my rage. "You made a deal with me, that I would help you become a better father, but I can't do that when you act the way you do..."

"That deal became void when you left Storybrooke," my dad snaps. He has tears in his eyes and he's sweating profusely in my grasp.

I can't believe him!

"You're unbelievable! You brought this on yourself and therefore I have no sympathy for filth like you anymore. You want to be alone and without love, you're certainly earning that from the few people who actually cared for you. Belle was right to send your son away. He doesn't deserve to know you... and neither does your future grandchild." Tear burn my eyes as I put my hand on my slowly growing stomach.

I finally release him and turn in anger. He pants slightly, reaching for his cane and try to gather his bearings. He looks pathetic and slimy. I have no sympathy for him.

"You may have given me life, but as far as I'm concerned, you're not my father and you will never be a father to me or anyone else..."

With that, I push through the curtain of the shop and head to the exit. On my way out, I smash the globe that would help him find his son. I make sure I slam the door hard on my way out. My tears are flowing freely now and I continue to grind my teeth. I shove my glowing hands in my pockets and storm towards the town line.

"Such intense passion for such a small package..." I hear behind me. I stop short. I know that voice...but it's colder, more venomous, eviler...

I turn to see the Evil Queen standing in the road. Her large, spider-like gown hugs the pavement at her feet and her high, bejeweled collar practically encases her entire head, glowing in the streetlight she stands under. Her intense, dark eyes are fixated on me, clearly, I am her next victim to torment. Her ruby red lips are pulled into the most wicked smile, like how a fox might look at a rabbit before the inevitable. Her smile even rivals Rumpel's, in terms of making me extremely angry. I clench my jaw.

"Nice dress," I snort. "Could it be any more reflective of your soul?"

The Queen's eyes narrow before she begins to laugh in a high pitch. She actually seems happy at my remark, thrilled by my attitude. I feel a small chill go up my spine, but I don't show it. I secretly activate my phone in my hoodie and begin to text.

"I like your spunk child."

"You like that or my powers?"

The Evil Queen grins. "The latter mostly, but as a woman of hearts, I do sense great darkness within yours. Something that could be very useful to me."

"Forget it," I hiss angrily. "I may be angry, but I'm no vengeful monster."

"Are you really?" The Queen grins.

"I know what you're trying to do Queenie and it's not going to work. Now would you be so kind as to leave me alone before I make you regret it."

"Such a threat," the Evil Queen smirks. "I remember when I was that young, thought that I was so powerful that I could take on anyone..."

I roll my eyes and clench my fists. I know what she's trying to do to me and she won't get what she wants.

"The thing is Black Widow, I don't want to take you on because it's beneath me. I'm not going to sink to your level."

"Don't flatter yourself, child," the Queen says. "You are most definitely not on my level."

In a quick flash, she conjures up a dark blast.


	41. Chapter 41: Keep Guessing

Chapter 41: Keep Guessing

I go flying backward, landing on the pavement hard... I gasp out in pain as a sharp pain hits my lower back and my mind immediately thinks about my baby. I place my hands there and tears begin to flow to the surface. I should have listened to Mason and stayed away... now my baby will never have the chance to live. She killed my child and she now wants to kill me! I gasp in emotional pain. I think of the innocent life I have inside me that would never see the light of day.

Suddenly, my hands glow brightly and it's a light purple, almost lilac in colour, much lighter than my usual magic. I feel the energy tingle on the end of my fingertips and transfer into where I'm clutching my stomach. The energy flows through me and I feel the pain in my lower body numb and then completely go away. I close my eyes for a few moments and concentrate...I can actually feel the inner workings of my body, but my heart still pounds, I'm worried about my baby. I breathe deeply until I feel a distinct pulse in my abdomen. A smile creeps onto my face and I want to scream out in joy, but the Evil Queen is still watching. I know I can't show that she almost got to me and that I've learned how to heal.

I pull myself back up and my hands begin glowing the dark purple again. I face the dark-souled demon, this time more prepared.

"You think one blast is going to get me?" I call to her.

"You were quite distressed a few moments ago."

"You caught me off guard. I figured early on that you wouldn't fight fair."

"Fairness has never been one of my strengths."

"Didn't think it would be, and guess what?"

I launch a ball of energy at her, but I separate it at the last moment so she has multiple targets coming after her at once. She barely manages to deflect them all. One of my balls of energy singes her spider-like gown.

"It's not one of mine either!" I declare.

"You're as foolish as your father is," The queen says, she launches a ball of dark flames at me, but this time I'm ready and deflect it with ease. I launch a return shot.

"What purpose can trying to kill me do for you?" I ask. "If I die, my powers go with me."

"I figured since your father wants me to suffer, I thought I'd return the favour, taking one of the few things he has left."

"Killing me won't hurt him anymore," I say in a bluffing tone. I create a purple shield as the Evil Queen returns fire. "He's dead to me."

"He may as well be dead to all of you!" she declares.

"For once, you and I can agree on something," I smirk. "He's probably as dark as you are and his list of confirmed kills is almost as long as yours."

"You flatter me," the queen smiles. She launches several shots of dark magic at me, but I hold a strong shield. "I worked hard for that list."

"It wasn't a compliment," I snap. "I'm glad Regina separated from you, she is so much better off without you."

"Please, she's nothing without me."

"Keep telling yourself that," I say firmly. "But it's a false wish. Without you, Regina is human, unlike you. You're a soulless succubus with a heart darker than my father's even."

"Such talk from such a miscellaneous child. Don't you ever want to be more than what you are? Gain the power that not even your father could have? Bring back those you lost?"

I swallow hard and keep a strong face." Do you really think I'm going buy that? You'd make a good used car salesman if you think I'm going to buy your crap. I may not be on the level as you in terms of magic, but I have something you will never have! Something that makes me more powerful than you will ever be."

"And what might that be?"

"Crystal!" I hear behind me. I immediately put up a shield that covers half the street. Emma, Regina, David, Hook, and Henry coming running to my aid, David and Hook with their swords drawn, Regina and Emma's hands are ablaze with light. It is fortunate that I managed to text them to come and help me before she hit me. The queen begins blasting the force field.

"Crystal, are you okay?" Emma asks.

"I wasn't a few minutes ago, but no better time to learn to heal,"

"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Emma scolds me. "You always have to be the one to confront your dad."

"You expect anyone else to do it?" I ask.

"You're so much like your father," Regina mutters.

"Have you hit her at all?" David asks.

"I barely missed that ugly dress she's wearing, why?"

"Because if you hit her, it hurts Regina as well," Emma explains.

"K, good to know and just for the record, she engaged me. I wanted to leave and she attacked."

"I think this might be a pointless right now lass," Hook states.

"Won't argue there Kil," I say. "But seriously is there any loophole at all with attacking her? I want to give her a taste of the Dark One's daughter. She wants to steal my powers by the way."

"That doesn't surprise me," Regina says. "When she sees any form of power, she wants it."

"She must've seen me confront my dad," I deduce. "But can I please get one good shot in her pretty face? She would've killed my baby if I hadn't learned to heal in time."

A loud sound suddenly interrupts our conversation. I look to see my father standing out in front of his shop and also in front of my shield. His hands raised in attack position. I immediately assume that he's joining the Evil Queen, but he's facing the witch, with dark magic spewing from his hands. He makes a thick cloud of black smoke. So thick that he and the queen are engulfed into it and it swirls around my shield harmlessly. All of us are on guard in case my father turns his...attack on us. We hear muffled voices and the minutes seem to drag on as the smoke becomes thicker and darker, like a void or the queen's soul. I keep my shield up so we're not consumed by this... spell.

It's a long few minutes before the smoke dissipates and my father is standing in the middle of the road, his back to us. The queen has vanished.

"Did he kill her?" Henry asks.

"I don't think so," Emma says. "Otherwise Regina might have gone with her. He knows he can't harm one without hurting the other."

I see Regina swallow nervously.

"I think he scared her off," I say.

My father turns to face us and we all tense up. I lock eyes with him, I keep my field up and strong. I can't read my father's face very well. It's a mix of anger, resentment, fury, disgust, maybe some guilt but also sadness. I keep my eyes locked onto his old amber ones. I wish I could hear what he was thinking. Did he really feel any guilt at all? Did he hate me now for me attacking him? Did he take my words to heart? Was he trying to protect us?

All these questions swirled in my mind, much like the smoke my father had generated. We all stand with our breaths held in case he decided to attack. Instead, he continues staring at me, as if I'm supposed to understand what he wants to communicate. I want so badly to know. I'm a whirlwind of emotions, but I'm still angry at him. He never changed before, despite the deal he made with me; so why was I hoping, praying even, that he'd be a good father to Gideon and to me? I feel a single tear run down my cheek to let him know I felt something...maybe he did too, but he merely nods and then walks back into the shop.

I don't let my protective field down just yet; until I'm certain that he's gone. I slowly let my hands down, taking the shield with it and let out a sigh of relief.

"Why did he do that?" Killian hisses. "You'd think he'd want to end us and join that wretched witch to do so. He certainly could do us all in very easily. What purpose did the smog have? Why would he not turn on us? "

I look over at the others. I wipe the single tear from my eye and swallow.

"I don't know Kil, but my guess is that he wants to keep us guessing..."

...

Afterward, I go to the hospital to get checked out by Dr. Whale. He says he hears a heartbeat and that relieves any anxiety I still had about my healing. Frankenstein then suggested I stay out of Storybrooke for the remainder of my pregnancy and I can't agree more with him.

I go see Belle, hug her and look at the pictures of my baby brother. I apologize to her for my outburst and she simply nods and hugs me for a long time. I cry with her for awhile, upset that my father acted the way he did and that my step-mother was forced to protect her child by sending him away. I felt a lot closer to Belle and she told me that I had made the right decision in forbidding Rumpel from seeing his grandchild. The two of us were tired of being beaten into submission over our love for the man who was supposed to love us back. Nothing good would ever become of it. I leave with a heavy knot in my stomach and my mind still racing about whether I made the right decision by confronting him. I did have hope that he would try to change like my mother taught me to, see the man that my mom and Belle fell in love with, but that hope had faded away with almost nothing left. I did have hope for my baby brother's future and hope for Belle to find her happy ending, but for the black sheep in this bizarre family, there was nothing but smoldering embers.

I take pictures of Tiana's restaurant and I compliment Ruby and the dwarves for doing such a good job. The place practically looks ready to open. I also pick up a few things from my apartment and do some rearranging with my magic to prepare for Mason's things and the baby. I also get to meet Aladdin and Jasmine, who are more than happy to take a picture with me.

I stand at the town line, ready to head back to The Big Apple.

I go hug Regina first.

"Please be safe," I tell her. "And don't ever let that evil hag think you need her. You're a good mom Regina and I know you have love in your heart. And have hope... always have hope."

"I will, now please take care of that baby and bring back a new happy family," she says.

I hug Killian next. "Keep Emma safe," I tell him.

"Aye," Killian says. "I will, I'd rather end up in the Underworld again rather than see Emma suffer."

"Good to know," I say with a smile.

I hug Henry.

"Keep those stories coming," I say.

"Keep that baby safe," Henry says. "And good luck with the court case."

"Thank you,"

I hug David tightly. I wished that Snow were here too, but she's in a cursed sleep in the apartment. I let a few tears fall down my cheeks. This isn't fair to David, Snow, baby Neal, Emma...or anyone. I want so badly to force that witch to break the spell and allow true love to bloom again, but I know that's what she's trying to destroy. It's also the one thing I know she will never destroy. Love was more powerful than her dark magic and it's what I have that she never will. I hope it's what will destroy her in the end. I know love always prevails... unless you're my father.

"Tell Snow I say hi," I whisper. "And give Neal a hug for me."

"I will," David murmurs, trying not to cry himself.

I hug Emma extra long and my stomach twists because I'm afraid this might be the last time I see her. I shake the thought from my head. She's the Saviour, of course, she can't die and I will see her again, I know it.

"Stay safe," I tell her. "Have hope."

"You too and next time, a little more advanced notice on when you're going to show up."

I smile. "I promise."

We look at each other for a long moment and smile before Emma raises her hands. A sort of hole appears in the field surrounding the town. I turn for one last good-bye and I swear I see my father in the distance, holding his hand up in a wave.


	42. Chapter 42: A Few Surprises

Chapter 42: A Few Surprises

 _Hey readers, these next set of chapters are taking place after Season 6 of Once. I wish the writers would use my ideas for Season 7. I am making several assumptions about what will happen next including Rumpel and Belle getting Gideon back as a baby, the Evil Queen defeated and the whole hooded figure thing is resolved. I'm going to leave it pretty vague so the show can fill in the details later. This might change over time._

 _Four months later..._

I wake up with a sharp pain in my side. The baby or I must have shifted in the night. I still can't believe that I have a life inside me, a new life something with its own kind of magic. I try to ignore the fact that this baby will either be a werewolf or a Dark One offspring with powers. I rub my stomach and gently pat my bulging abdomen.

"Hello little baby," I say gently. "This is your mommy."

Mason rolls over and kisses me. I love his lips on mine. He tastes like something salty.

"Hello little one, I'm your father." He looks at me. "You think we can get the baby to call me Papa like I used to call my father?"

"Of course..." I say. "He or she can call me Mommy."

"What about the rest of the family?" Mason asks.

"Well Rumple can be Grandpa and Belle can be Grandma or... maybe 'Belle' is okay because unlike her husband, she's actually still pretty young that she's already a mother anyways."

"How will Gideon be related to ours?" Mason asks, trying to figure out the relations.

"Well..." I say. "Their baby is my step-brother, so that makes our baby the step-niece or nephew."

"Rumple's going to be a grandfather all over again," I say this pretty loosely, as I'm still on the fence about letting my dad into our baby's life. I haven't actually talked with my dad in a little while. After I came back to New York, Mason was pretty upset about what the Evil Queen did to me and that I went in the first place but I told him that everything was fine... for now. I kept in touch with Emma and the others and things got serious after I left. Gideon was kidnapped by The Black Fairy, who also turned out to be my grandmother and he was raised to become the hooded figure that Emma was having visions of, but at the time Emma and Regina were in the wish realm, a false version of the Enchanted Forest where Emma was never the Saviour. This wish was granted by Aladdin, who was the new genie, and the Evil Queen had forced him to grant the wish. I still do talk to Belle and the others quite frequently. Mason and I made one trip back home about a month ago when the Evil Queen had been defeated and my brother had been turned back into a baby. This visit allowed me to actually hold my baby brother and meet him in his proper form. He's a sweet little thing, very happy and very intelligent. My dad attempted to talk to us and we exchanged a few friendly words, but I'm still not ready to trust him again. Belle feels the same, but she is living with Rumple again to allow all of them to be a real family.

"We also need to look at names," I say. This shouldn't be too hard seeing that we both have deceased parents we'd like to name our offspring after. "For a girl, I'd like Lillian, after my mother."

"What about Juliette, after my mother?" Mason suggests.

"We can make them first and middle names, Lillian Juliette,"

"Or Juliette Lillian," Mason suggests.

"Either will be fine," I smile.

"And for a boy?" Mason asks.

"It'll have Charles in there for sure," I say reassuring him, after his father.

"What about your father's first name?"

I bite my lip. "I don't think anyone knows his first name, not even him."

"What about your grandfather?"

"Peter Pan?" I mutter. "His original name was Malcolm."

"That's okay," Mason says encouragingly.

I frown. Malcolm/Peter Pan had done some pretty horrible things in his lifetime, including abandoning my father when he was a child. It really must run in the family, except Mason and I will be the first to break that cycle. It's caused nothing but pain.

"I like the name Liam," I say, thinking of Hook's brother.

"Didn't you say that Killian already has a grown brother named Liam? The one who works with Captain Nemo?"

"Oh, right," I sigh.

"Baelfire, after your brother?" Mason suggests.

"I don't want our child to be beaten to death in the schoolyard," I mutter sarcastically. "No offense to him, but it's too...mystical and old fashioned, it's why Snow and David named their little one Neal instead."

I sigh deeply, "I didn't think picking a boy name would be this hard."

"You'll think of something," Mason says, kissing my cheek. "It will surely be magical."

"Hopefully this baby will believe in magic like Henry always does," I say quietly.

Mason shoots me a look. We know this baby will have magic or enhanced strength and be shifting into a wolf whenever he/she wants to, either or, is going to do it.

"Isn't it amazing?" I say leaning back against the bed again. "How magic can exist in all sorts of different places and forms. From true love to the moon, from ice and snow to the flames of the sun."

"I need not look further than you," Mason says nuzzling my neck and kissing me.

"You're pretty magical too." I snicker, returning the kiss.

I suddenly feel the baby responding. I clutch my stomach and roll over to ease the pain. That's when I feel a slight bump against my abdomen.

"You okay?" Mason asks.

"It's the baby, it's kicking," I grunt.

Mason presses his hand against my stomach and the baby responds by applying its own amount of pressure against my insides. I think I'm the first person from Storybrooke in a long time who will carry their baby to full-term, no magic speeding up this pregnancy.

"Oh, my gawd..." Mason softly.

"I know," I say softly.

"When's the next ultrasound?"

"Pretty soon, but I'm more concerned about the custody case than seeing how the baby's doing. As long as it's responding and kicking, I'm reassured."

"You really all about business aren't you?"

"For now, I'm trying to ignore the fact that I'm inflating like a blimp and carrying our future child in my womb. I also want to ignore that my feet and fingers are swelling, I'm sweating and hot and in constant need of attention"

"That'll sum it up, Sweetheart."

I get up and look out the window. It's starting to snow slightly. The city looks very quiet, hardly stirring, which seems hard to believe considering we're in one of the biggest cities in the world.

I stare at the frost on the window. The beautiful curved edges and feathered designs spread across the window pane.

"Jack Frost must be at work." I smile, creating my own magical pattern, only in purple. Mason comes up behind me and kisses my neck. "I can't wait for this custody stuff to be over so we can go home and really start our life as a family."

"It will happen, don't worry," Mason says.

The court dates are fast approaching. Tiana has been going back and forth from New York, officially opening her restaurant, Naveen has been preparing to face his parents in court and I've been keeping my eye on Brendan at work. All the kids are ecstatic about my growing belly, they always want to know if it is a boy or a girl or how it got in there. Bridges is less than enthusiastic that I've stayed on much longer than anyone expected, she was looking forward to seeing me go. She also doesn't approve about my pregnancy being out of wedlock. How old-fashioned can you get?

We've learned through Raymond and the new lawyer he got on the case, that Olga was fired a long time ago, forced to by Child Protective Services, but the careless witch that calls herself Brendan's stepmother still refuses to revoke her parental rights. I had been working hard to prove that she is neglectful towards her son, which is very hard considering she is a wealthy woman. And according to me and many others, money does not equal love and care, but Raymond says a judge won't always take that into account. There is hope that the fact that Brendan was never meant to be adopted will void the woman's parental rights. She was never meant to be a mother.

...

"Okay so the documentations for the forgery charge all in order," Raymond says, stacking up some paperwork and putting it in a folder.

"Excellent," the lawyer, Drake Madison says. "Don't worry Raymond, you will be a lawyer in no time,"

"I certainly hope so," Alisa says, coming up behind him and cuddling him.

"Please take your hands off the intern and no PDA during business hours," Mr. Madison says in good humor.

"I'm sorry, counselor," Alisa says, taking her hands back.

We're all in a big conference room at Raymond's law firm, going over the finer details of the case, making sure that it is solid. Alisa is trying to break some of the intensity in the room by trying to snuggle with her boyfriend. Mason sits beside me the entire time, holding my hand. Tiana and Naveen sit next to each other, across from the lawyer, both looking very stressed and exhausted. Tiana especially from running back and forth from New York and Storybrooke and getting her restaurant off the ground. We had the grand opening when we all went back to see baby Gideon for the first time. I also got Dr. Wale to release Brendan's documents for the court case. We were lucky enough not to run into Naveen's parents while we were there.

Mr. Madison needs me as a witness, as well as Tia and Naveen, and Tiana's mother is also coming to town. It is going to be very emotional and very intense. I was partly wishing that I was the lead lawyer on this case so that I could confront Brendan's mother about how horrible she has been to her son. It's going to take a lot to keep my mouth shut, but fortunately, I will get my say in court and Mason will be here for the entire thing.

"Okay, well, we will be going to court within the next month."

"Thank you so much," Naveen says, getting up and shaking both their hands. "To you and Raymond, I can't tell you how much this means to Tiana and her mother."

"What about you Naveen?" Alisa blurts. "Aren't you happy to be getting Brendan back?"

Naveen turns red and slowly sits down. I glare at Alisa for her impulsive comment, things were still strained between Tia and Naveen.

"That reminds me," Mr. Madison says. "We haven't discussed custody of the child yet. Normally, I don't attempt it until after it is a guaranteed fact, but most parents have at least some idea of how they want to share custody of their child."

Tiana and Naveen both turn bright red, clearly embarrassed about the fact that neither of them has discussed custody at all. It is a big oversight, considering how every detail has been examined leading up to this case. I can understand why the two have been reluctant to discuss the custody of their son considering Tiana is still tolerating Naveen's presence.

"There are many options available for sharing custody, but I recommend you both discuss it privately and consider what is best for your son," Mr. Madison says, tidying up the papers and folders and placing them in the case boxes. "Have a good night and I will speak with you soon. Raymond, can you please give me a hand with the box?"

"Sure," Raymond says, grabbing one while Mr. Madison the other and Alisa follows them out.

The four of us sit in silence.

I start to wonder how this is going to end for both of them. It's been such an uphill battle and they've only scratched the surface of what will come next. When I first met Tiana, I knew that if there was a chance she could get Brendan back, she would never let Naveen anywhere near him. However, since they've both spent some time with their son and how close Brendan was becoming to his father, it's a lot more complicated. I can see the distress in Tiana's eyes as she taps her fingers on the conference room table.

 _If only they'd talk it out,_ I think to myself.

Then it hits me.

"Naveen can I talk to you for a second?" I ask.

"S-Sure," he says. I get up from my chair, holding my baby bump and go towards the hall, the former prince following behind me.

Once we're alone I turn to him.

"You guys need to get your stuff straightened out," I say bluntly.

Naveen sighs.

"I don't care how you decide to split custody of Brendan, but that little boy needs both his parents. The only way to do this is to get Tiana on your side and to do that, I think you should take her out to dinner."

"W-What?!" Naveen gasps. "Crystal she..."

"She will have to agree. Just tell her you're going out to discuss the custody problem. Tell her it's not a date and then you get out there and earn back her trust."

"Crystal she won't want to hear it,"

"She will," I insist. "You guys need to put this bullshit behind you and do what is best for your child! It doesn't matter what has happened between the two of you, what is important is here and now. Work out your problems, talk until two a.m. I don't care but take her out and talk to her."

I peer in the door of the conference room, Tiana has her head in her hands.

"Besides, she needs a night out, look at how stressed she is."

Naveen swallows hard and looks at the woman he once loved... maybe still loves on some level, but the two need to work their problems out, for their son.

Naveen adjusts his shirt collar and goes back in to talk to her. I am very prepared to have to convince Tiana to do this, but to my great surprise, she doesn't resist that much. Maybe the anger towards him has finally worn off a bit. Maybe she's tired and needs to end this. Clearly, she needs a break from all the work she's done, she's been hardly sleeping according to Naveen, who's room is next to hers in their shared temporary apartment, working from dusk till dawn to get her son back and open her restaurant. She needs to bury the hatchet for good. I give her an encouraging nod to get the message to her that this is a good idea.

Mason and I watch as the two walk down the street to a small quiet restaurant in Downtown Manhattan, and I hope and pray for the best. Mason holds my hand and asks me what I did.

"I gave them the kick start they needed," I say.

Back at Mason's place, we spend the night watching a movie and checking in on Storybrooke. Belle sent me a video of Rumpel trying to change Gideon and we all had a laugh.

...

It's almost two in the morning when my phone buzzes on the night stand. I check to see two messages, both from Naveen and Tiana.

I'm expecting some sort of criticisms or "I hate you" message, but instead, both say two simple words.

 _Thank you_

...

"Welcome Ms. Miller," the doctor says with a warm smile. "How are you and your baby doing?"

"Just fine Dr. Roberts," I say happily. I'm up on the table, ready for my next ultrasound. Mason stands next to me, very happy and proud. "We've been feeling the baby kick recently."

"Well that is certainly good news, now your previous doctor, Dr. Whale is it? He sent me your medical information from Storybrooke and told me he checked on you a few months ago and has been in charge of your care correct?"

"Yes," I nod.

"Where is this Storybrooke? I've never heard of it."

"It's a very small town in Maine," I say. "It's one well-kept secret."

Mason winks at me.

"Alright then, let's take a look at this baby, shall we?"

The doctor starts up the sonogram, rubs the gel on my bulging stomach and begins waving the wand along my now slimy skin.

I wait eagerly, ready to see our baby when the doctor frowns.

"Hmm," she says.

My heart suddenly drops.

"What is it, doctor? Is something wrong?" Mason asks, the worry very clear in his voice. I'm suddenly afraid that the baby might have some abnormality, either from me or Mason or from the magic attack from the Evil Queen.

The doctor suddenly smiles.

"Nothing is wrong Mr. Phelps, but it appears there is more than one baby in here."

My jaw drops and I go completely numb.

"W-What?" I stammer.

"You're carrying twins Ms. Miller," Dr. Roberts says. "Take a look."

Both of us look at the screen very carefully and the doctor points out the outline of two heads and bodies.

I'm completely floored and I begin to cry. Mason grabs my hand and kisses it. He too is on the brink of tears. I'm so overwhelmed with happiness. We're having two babies! I reach over to the screen and trace their little heads, so very happy.

"I extend my sincere congratulations," Dr. Roberts says.

I look up at Mason, this is the first time he's seeing his children. I then pull him down and kiss him very deeply, still crying from sheer joy.

"We're going to be parents!" I whisper, so happy for the next chapter in our lives. These babies will be the best moment of my life.

"Indeed," Mason smiles.

"Everything else seems healthy, one is very active at the moment. Are either of you interested in the sexes of the babies?"

"No thank you," I say. Like the others before me, I want to be surprised when I give birth. A little old-fashioned, but hey, that's me and Mason will respect my wishes.

The doctor gives us a picture of the twins and checks all my vitals and overall health.

I can't stop staring at the photo of our children. I feel like I know them already. I'm so nervous, but at the same time, so excited. We're starting a new family, we're going to change the Gold/Miller/French/Phelps family history. We can't get home fast enough.

Once we're home, I dial Emma's number.

"Hey, Crystal," Emma's voice comes over the speaker.

"Hey, are you guys at _Granny's_?" I ask, hearing the background noise.

"Yes,"

"Is Belle and my dad there?"

"Yes,"

"David and Snow?"

"Yes,"

"Henry, Killian, Regina and Robin?"

"Yes," Emma says insistently.

"You might want to put this on speakerphone and be sitting down."

"What's going on Crystal?" Emma asks.

"Are you on speakerphone?" I ask.

"Yes, everyone is listening," Henry's voice rings out. "What's going on Crystal?!"

"Well, Mason and I just came back from the doctors today," I say with a huge smile on my face. Mason is also grinning from ear to ear.

"Is something wrong?" Snow asks.

"No, both babies are doing well," I say.

 _Happy Holidays to all my readers. Please review and follow._


	43. Chapter 43: Courtroom Drama

Chapter 43: Courtroom Drama

 _Two more months later..._

We stand outside in the courtroom parking lot in the cold February weather. Raymond and Drake have gone in to become organized, while Tiana, Naveen, Mason and I stand out, shivering in the icy wind.

"Well..." I say. "Today's the day."

"I'm so scared," Tiana says. She's shaking, but I can't tell if it's from the cold or being nervous.

Naveen puts his arm around her, which to me is a little unusual considering their past history and to my surprise, she doesn't resist. I was starting to suspect that things between the princess and her frog were rekindling, even just a little. They were spending more and more time together, saying that they were still working out the custody issue. Even if my suspicions are wrong, at least Tiana is allowing Naveen near Brendan.

"It'll be okay..." Naveen says soothingly. "Soon we'll... you'll have Brendan in your arms again."

That slip-up was, even more, proof of my suspicions. We're waiting on Tiana's mother, who said that Emma was granting her passage from town and was coming to support her daughter. She didn't say who was driving her, but I assumed that it was Emma or even Ruby.

Suddenly, several vehicles pull into the parking lot and honk at us; one of them is a yellow Volkswagon. I'm absolutely stunned and tear up happily. A familiar blonde is behind the wheel, as well as a dark-haired, one-handed pirate, and a young teenage author. Emma comes out of the car and slams the door. I run over and hug her tightly. I also see a glittering stone and wedding band on her ring finger, making me burst into tears of joy. I congratulate her with a huge hug. Hook and Henry aren't too far behind, all of whom I embrace with hugs and tears.

I still felt a pang of guilt as I had not been there for their wedding. I heard about what had happened from Emma and Henry afterward.

Mason and I intended to go home for Emma and Hook's wedding, but I had a pregnancy scare with the twins and we were unable to make it. However, this ended up saving us because of the Black Fairy, my grandmother's curse, hit not long after they said: "I do." Emma was put in an institution; my recently deceased grandmother was the mayor and Henry was her son; my father was separated from Belle; the newlywed pirate and Charming/Mills family, along with Zelena, were sent back to the Enchanted Forest. The place we once called home was almost destroyed when Emma's belief faded and for awhile, she did stop believing and went back to Boston. However, Henry wrote one more story and she came back while my father did what he was fated to do and ended his mother. Then there was just the problem of Gideon and Emma's fates. The two battled and Emma was in an impossible spot. If she was killed, all light magic would be destroyed and if she killed Gideon, she'd turn dark and light magic would still be destroyed. Emma then sacrificed herself and seemingly died, while my father faced his own demons in an attempt to get my brother's heart back. Henry saved his mother with True Love's kiss and my father finally put family before power. Both good and evil did the right thing and The Final Battle was won. Now that the world was at peace... for now.

More people exit some of the vehicles behind them. Regina and Robin, an awake Mary Margret and David, along with their bright-eyed toddler, Neal. My father and Belle, with my baby brother in a car seat.

"I can't believe you guys all came!" I say with such surprise. I embrace the Nolans and then Regina and Robin. I save my father and Belle for last. My father takes me into his arms rather awkwardly but rubs my back. We're still working on closeness.

In general, it's kind of hard to hug people with my swollen stomach. Every day the twins grow bigger and bigger and the load is becoming a bit more unbearable.

"How's my baby brother?" I coo into the car seat. Gideon has my dad's eyes and hair, but Belle's facial features including the nose. I reach my finger in and Gideon grabs it. He gurgles happily.

"He misses his big sister," my dad says smiling. "We thought we'd come to support you so you'll come back sooner."

"Dad, we visit when we can but..." I lower my voice. "But with the wolves around it's too risky."

"I know. And how are my future grandchildren?"

My dad places a hand on my swollen middle, Belle, follows suit afterward.

"Growing bigger each day."

"I sense that great magic within their hearts," my dad says, staring a little too hard at my unborn children.

I swallow and take a step back. No matter how much he tries to change, my dad will always be obsessed with magic and its potential.

"Dad, we need to make a new deal where you won't steal any more children. Because that always works out so well for you."

"Agreed," he nods.

Mason puts his arm around me and I heave my bump into a more comfortable position. Mary Margret brings Neal over to see me. He's grown so much since I last saw him. I reach out and allow him to grab my finger.

"To be honest, I don't think babies are allowed in the courtroom,"

"Belle mostly wanted to come back for the sights, same for Mom," Emma states.

"Plus, this Robin has not been outside of Storybrooke yet," Henry adds.

I look over at the Robin who came from the Wish Realm with Regina. I was told that he was quite different from Robin Hood, causing chaos at some point as well, but he's grown on everyone and is slowly changing. I am happy for Regina, she really deserves some form of a happy ending.

"What sort of kingdom is this?" Robin asks Regina. "And what are those yellow dragons going down the road?"

"This is New York City. One of the greatest cities in the world and those are taxi cabs, they're a bit like carriages," Regina explains. "They take people where they want to go."

"Just keep him away from the subways," I whisper to Regina. "They might be a bit much to take in in one day."

"We'd better go in," Tiana says. "Raymond said that the court comes to order at 9:00, no later."

I turn to the group. "You guys really don't have to come, it's mostly custody junk. Go enjoy NYC."

"No Crystal," Emma says. "We're going to be there for you like you've been there for us."

"Aye," Killian agrees.

"Okay, but Dad no magic and Kil, you might want to hide the hook."

I follow Tiana, Naveen, and Eudora inside, Mason has his arm around my waist, helping me up the stairs. As much as I love carrying my children, it's put a lot of strain on my body. My feet are swelling and I'm constantly sweating. It's not what I'm used to, but anything to bring new lives into the world.

I see Raymond and Mr. Madison sitting on one side of the courtroom, Tiana and Naveen go up to join them. Eudora sits down in the front row and Mason and I join her. The others sit in the rows behind us.

I peer over at the defence's table and sure enough, I see the wicked witch herself, Miss Gallagher sits in her most formal business suit. She sits with a few high profile lawyers, some I swear I've seen on TV before. She has her lips pursed into the most sullen expression I've ever seen. I see her staring daggers at Tiana and Naveen. Her cold eyes search the rows behind the bar and I think she recognizes me. She gives me the coldest glare she can, but I simply smirk at her. Her eyes narrow and she looks away, attempting to ignore me. She whispers something to one of her attorneys and one of them looks back at me and then at the parents wanting their children back. I'd give anything to know what they were saying.

Along one wall is an empty jury box, since this isn't a high-profile case

"All rise!" the bailiff calls into the courtroom. "The honourable Judge Jefferson proceeding."

We all stand at the order, me with a little help from Mason. A woman in her mid-fifties with graying hair pulled back into a bun and gold-rimmed glasses comes into the room dressed in the typical black robes with a white collar that all judges seem to wear. For a moment she almost looks like Judge Judy. She carries a book with her and climbs up to her podium. She settles herself

"Tiana Anderson and Naveen Horton versus Julia Gallagher. Seeking the reinstatement of parental rights for Miss Anderson and Mr. Horton and the liquidation of Miss Gallagher's. I will now hear opening statements from each lead attorney."

A man from the opposite table stands up and adjusts his tie.

"Your honour, this case is certainly a waste of your time and taxpayer's money."

"Objection!" Mr. Madison says.

"On what grounds?" the judge asks.

"Leading comment and unnecessary bias."

"Overruled, the defence may continue."

"Thank you, your honour, this is not even a case. Miss Gallagher legally adopted the child in question several days after his birth. Parental rights of birth parents immediately become void when the defendant, Miss Gallagher signed the papers. This woman has provided adequate care for this young child for the past five years and now the birth mother comes back from out of nowhere and demands her son back is against the law. Legally, Miss Gallagher is Mr. Brendan Anderson's legal mother and therefore I recommend you throw the case out of court."

"Thank you, Mr. Stevens, but I would like to hear what the prosecution has to say before I make such a judgment. Mr. Madison, your opening statements please."

"Thank you, your honour," Drake says standing up. He holds in his hand a picture of Brendan.

"This boy was never meant to be put up for adoption. His mother wanted him from the moment she discovered that she was with child. She had plans to raise him in her home, paint the nursery and all the things that come with having a child."

"Objection, relevance?" the attorney on the other side calls.

"I'm merely painting a proper picture, your honour."

"Overruled, you may continue Mr. Madison."

"This woman, Tiana Eudora Anderson wanted her son, but the grandparents of this child were attempting to take him away, claiming she was an unfit mother. When the time came for her to deliver her son, there were complications that left Miss Anderson incapacitated. And while she was recovering, her signature was forged onto the adoption papers, falsely giving away her parental rights. Therefore, this case should be as simple as can be. Since the parental rights were not given away, Miss Gallagher can be considered part of child abduction..."

"OBJECTION!" Mr. Stevens shouts across the courtroom.

"Your honour, I am merely stating the truth. Miss Gallagher adopted Brendan Anderson under false pretenses and therefore, her parental rights should be void, not the other way around."

"Do you have any evidence to back up this claim Mr. Madison?"

"Yes I do, I'd like to call Dr. Lucas who is a graphologist and handwriting expert from the UCLA to testify this claim as well as those adoption papers that were allegedly signed by Miss Anderson on June 11th, 2010."

"Very well, I'd like to hear this testimony."

"I call Dr. Lucas to the stand."

A man in his late forties with a buzz cut and horn-rimmed glasses walks from the very back of the courtroom, a book in his hand. He swears on the Bible and then takes his place on the witness stand.

Raymond helps Drake project the signatures on a document camera so that the entire court can see.

"Dr. Lucas, you are graphologist from the University of California at Los Angeles?"

"I am."

"And you have a full doctorate on the study of language and signs and symbols?"

"Yes,"

"Now, I am about to show you two documents and I would like you to give the judge your own professional opinion as to whether this handwriting of Miss Anderson is forged or not."

The professor nods.

"This is the handwritten signature of Miss Anderson from one of the many court documents she's had to sign and this..." he shifts a piece of paper next to the one already shown. "Is the document for the termination of Miss Anderson's parental rights. Can you please tell me what you see? And in your professional opinion would you call this a forgery?"

"Certainly, curves on the U's and O's in _Eudora_ are askew in the document of termination, compared to the smoother form in the court document. The T in _Tiana_ is also leaning a lot harder to the left than in the document on the right. Additionally, the handwriting on the termination document is very shaky and unprofessional. This often indicates to us that the signature of the parental rights document was signed by someone who does not use this legal name. If I had to do a closer analysis, I would also say that these two documents were not signed by the same person."

"Thank you, sir," Drake says. "Your witness."

To my surprise, Ms. Gallhager stands up.

"Dr. Lucas, did you examine these documents before today's session?"

"I did."

"And did you get any second opinions about the signatures."

"No, I did not."

"Can someone's handwriting be affected by their state of mind?"

"Can I get an example?"

"Certainly, so say if Miss Anderson was emotionally distraught over giving up her child, could the form of her handwriting show various changes?"

"Of course, a number of factors can impact the form of handwriting, and that includes time of day, the strength of the hand and emotional state."

"Do you think it is possible that the handwriting on the termination of parental rights document could be written by the same person, just in a different state of mind?"

"That is not what I see here, but it is possible."

"Thank you... nothing further," she says before sitting down.

I see Tiana swallow hard and then whisper something into the lawyer's ear. Drake stands up quickly. "Redirect your honour," He goes up to the document camera and moves the termination paper up to show the date.

"Can you tell me the date on this Professor?"

"Certainly, it is June 11th, 2010."

"And the time?"

"7:45 a.m."

"And are you aware that Miss Anderson was unconscious for approximately eight hours following the birth of her son due to blood loss and other complications."

"I was not."

"And, in your professional opinion could you say that it would be very unlikely that Miss Anderson could sign the termination papers while unconscious."

"VERY unlikely," the professor says.

"I'd like to submit the handwriting documents as Exhibit A and then submit Miss Anderson's medical records from that specific day as Exhibit B. And lastly, I'd like to submit Dr. Lucas' own professional paper on the indications of forgery as Exhibit C. Nothing further your honour."

"Thank you, Mr. Madison. The witness is dismissed. I will take a short recess to examine the evidence."

Sha bangs her gavel. Tiana turns to Mr. Madison and hugs him.

"Thank you," she says.

"It was your quick thinking that did it, Tia," Naveen says, grabbing her hand. To my surprise, she doesn't pull away.

I turn to see Killian half-asleep, his head leaning on Emma's shoulder. She's tolerating it and I see Henry yawn as well. I guess this is kind of boring for them. I nudge Killian.

"Bloody hell what happened?!" he says sitting up abruptly.

"You fell asleep," I snort. "Maybe you guys should go and find Mary Margret and Belle, this is mostly boring law stuff and I probably won't end up testifying today. Clearly, it's neither exciting for a..." I lower my voice. "For a former pirate and an author."

"That's a good idea," Emma says. She grabs Killian's good hand and the two follow Henry out of the courtroom. I struggle to stand up and stretch with the load of twins straining my back. Mason helps me the entire way. I feel someone's eyes burrowing into me and once again I see Ms. Gallagher staring me down. If looks could kill.

...

Eventually, the court comes back to order.

The judge clears her throat. "After reviewing the evidence, I will agree with the prosecution that this signature terminating parental rights was indeed forged and am putting a warrant out for the arrest of the perpetrator."

I see Naveen swallow hard. This likely means his mother or his father... maybe both.

"I'm also issuing an investigation to look into this matter further. Since I don't know if both signatures of the parents were forged, I find the document of parental rights void and award them back to Miss Anderson and Mr. Horton. This, in turn, makes the adoption of Brendan illegal."

Tiana gasps happily and Naveen manages a smile.

"However, I was given a motion by the defence of examining the quality of parenting of both parties. If either the prosecution or the defence can prove the other cannot adequately care for the child in question, I will hear testimonies tomorrow."

The gavel bangs.

Tiana stands up and hugs Drake with so much force that she almost knocks him over.

"We're not out of the woods yet, but it is a good start," Raymond says. "Now we have to gather the witnesses including yourself Miss Miller."

"I'm ready and willing," I say, grasping Mason's hand.

As we all walk out of the courtroom, I stop to go to the washroom. When I come out, I'm washing my hands and in the reflection is Ms. Gallagher. I'm not really startled, just annoyed mostly. The woman has her arms folded and she looks quite angry.

"We need a moment to talk Miss Miller."

"I have nothing to say to you," I say before trying to exit the room. However, she puts her manicured hand on the door to stop me. I'm taken slightly off guard.

"What do you want?" I hiss.

"We need to discuss your testimony tomorrow."

"I'm only telling the truth considering I am the one who became close to your son than you ever did. I witnessed first hand how you treat your son and it is hardly what I call adequate."

"You're also the one who called Child Protective Services did you not?"

"What's it to you?"

The woman reaches forward and tries to collar me. I can't move as fast as I usually do, so she manages to get me. Her dark eyes and hued red lips stare at me.

"It's everything to me. Mark my words Miss Miller, if you say anything that damages my chances of keeping my son... I will make you suffer."

"You're threatening me?" I say. I'm caught a little off guard but I've faced far worse than a snobby lawyer in a pantsuit.

"I am, and if you breathe a word about this, it's easy enough to deny, no one will listen to someone like you."

"An honest and caring professional?" I smirk.

"A pathetic daycare worker who is having children out of wedlock."

"I'm not afraid of you," I say confidently.

"You should be, especially because I have connections to people who would gladly take care of you in an instant. I should be worried when you have those tiny lives to take care of and that British man to worry about. I also saw you outside with that feeble gang of ragtag associates. It's a shame if something were to happen to them too, especially the little ones."

I swallow an angry lump in my throat. She just threatened my unborn children, my boyfriend, and my family and friends. It takes all I have not to throw her against the wall with my magic. This is what she wants. She wants me to assault her and have me arrested so I can't testify but I will not sink to her level. Then I remember these people are from Storybrooke. My dad is the Dark One, more likely to be feared than fear someone. Hook was a pirate for god's sake. Regina was the former Evil Queen who killed almost as much as my Dad. David and Snow were fearsome warriors and even Belle was tougher than she looked. Emma was the Saviour, half of us had magic and they'd all faced a hell of a lot worse than this lawyer or even the Mob. That included Queens of Darkness, werewolves, ogers, an ice witch, an evil queen, an army of Dark One's, Peter Pan, demonic spirits, a wicked witch, underworld monsters, Hades and the Black Fairy herself, the source of all death and darkness.

"So this is how you win your cases huh?" I smirk again. "You threaten the witnesses to get what you want?"

"I call it aggressive persuasion."

"By threatening to have the Mob come after me and my family? How low can you get?"

"Choose your words carefully tomorrow Miss Miller," Ms. Gallahager finishes before finally letting me go. She takes her hand off the door and walks through. My heart is pounding, but I was hardly afraid of her. She had no idea who she was dealing with.

I walk out afterward and I watch her leave with her high heels punishing the floor. With a small flick of my wrist, both of those three-inch heels broke on her and she fell to the floor. I snicker happily as I walk past her.

 _Choose which family you mess with carefully Ms. Gallahger,_ I think to myself.


	44. Chapter 44: The Truth to Set Him Free

Chapter 44: The Truth to Set Him Free

I walk down the hallway of the courthouse and into Mason's embrace. I'm not sure if Ms. Gallagher is being serious or not, but I wouldn't put it past her. She's obviously used to getting everything that she wants and the fact that someone has the guts to stand up to her and take something back, has thrown her ego and her entire world off balance.

"Let's go," I say quietly, deciding to keep this to myself for now.

The entire group goes out for dinner. It feels nice to have everyone together again. It's like a family night at _Granny's_. Snow is especially talkative, having never seen New York before and she enjoys pushing her toddler son around the city. Regina and Robin had gone elsewhere for most of the day, doing quiet things while trying to get the outlaw used to regular society.

After dinner, almost everyone is tired and wants to go to the hotel, especially the young mothers. I offer to make everyone hot chocolate and cinnamon at Mason's apartment and it wasn't just because the Shadow Clan might be lurking around the city. I still can't get Miss Gallagher's words out of my head, so I'm hesitant to let anyone alone in the city right now.

We spend the rest of the night in front of a roaring fire and mugs of hot chocolate. We talk about the case, Snow and Belle give Tiana parenting tips for when she gets Brendan back and for me when the twins make an appearance.

"It will happen," the optimist of the group states firmly. I really do want to have Snow's confidence, but this is real life, it's not the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke even.

I get the chance to bond with my baby brother for a little bit. I hold him in my arms, I nuzzle noses with him and tickle him under his chin. He coos and gurgles. It's hard to believe that this was the same person who was supposed to kill Emma. I'm glad Belle and my dad got the chance to start over, press the reset button and raise him properly. Eventually, everyone clears out of the apartment, going home to rest. My dad and Belle linger for a long time. I spend time with my step-mother while Mason and my dad have a very private conversation in the bedroom.

I can't imagine what it must be like for the two of them, pretty awkward probably. The Dark One and a werewolf, not the greatest combination to find common ground. Then again, both of them can be defined by their love towards me and my love for them.

After some time, the two come out of the room and Mason offers Belle the chance to take a short nap, knowing that Gideon will be up half the night. Mason then kisses me and goes out, planning to head to Central Park to phase for a bit. I understood. It had been awhile since he took off the necklace and I understood completely. So, this leaves me with my brother and my dad.

I cradle my baby brother over my own swollen belly when my father comes to sit in an adjacent chair. We sit for some time in silence. We'd only seen each other a few times since I came back to New York.

"So..." I swallow. "How do you like being an actual father this time?"

My dad looks at me for a few moments and then down at the floor again.

"I'm learning," he says. "Belle is much better at it than I am. "

"It certainly isn't easy," I agree. "Parenting takes a lot of work. Lots of sacrifice for the tiny life, and you're not used to that."

My father sighs heavily. "Please keep in mind I did raise Baelfire from infancy"

"Until he became the adult and you became the child. After you abandoned him, you thought that maybe you could do it again with a mother and an unborn daughter."

He looks at me. "How much longer are you going to hold what I did to you and your mother over my head?"

I give my dad a look and readjust Gideon. "As long as it takes for you to learn from your mistakes."

"And I have," he says gently.

"A couple of months ago I didn't think so," I say firmly.

He sighs again.

"Dad, I'm sorry that I keep holding it over your head, but for someone who made deals that he held over people's heads for more than 28 years, you have to see where I get it from."

"Indeed I do, but part of me wishes you didn't get that from me."

"There's a lot I wish that I didn't get from you," I mutter sarcastically.

"So you keep telling me,"

I reach out and grab my dad's hand tightly. "You and I are far from perfect, but we do share something important... the love we have for Mom."

He gives a reluctant and tired smile.

"You remind me of her more and more each day..."

"Really?"

He nods. "You have her eyes and her overall beauty."

"Can you tell me something?" I ask.

"Certainly."

"What made you fall in love with her?"

He pauses for a moment to think about it. His eyes land on his son and then at the bedroom door where his wife slept. "I suppose it's the same reason I fell in love with Belle, she could see the man behind the monster. She could see what no one else could. Her kind nature made me feel like I was important and despite the hardships, she went through with the kingdom and with me; she never gave up. She followed her heart made a deep impact on my life. I still love her and one of those reasons why was that she gave me you."

I swallow a lump in my throat and sniff back a few tears. I squeeze his hand tightly and affectionately.

"I love you Dad. I guess I'm still adjusting to the fact that I now have a father. All my life it was just Mom and me, and I loved it, but I still wanted to know what part of me was missing. But now, with you, Belle, Gideon, Emma, Hook, Henry, Snow, Regina... everyone. They won't be able to fill the void that Mom left, but they make it so much easier. I'm sorry I can be so hard on you sometimes."

"That's perfectly all right Crisi."

I wince and he smirks.

"I'm going to teach that nickname to your brother when he starts talking."

"Please don't," I beg, but I know he will. I guess he does have something to hold over my head after all.

...

I put my hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth. I then heave myself onto the witness stand. I can see Miss Gallagher staring daggers at me, but I show no fear. Everyone I care about, including my father, are there to watch me testify. The only ones who are not there are the mothers of the young children. I see Tiana and Naveen giving me hopeful eyes and I sit up straight, ready to tell my side of the story.

Mr. Madison approaches me.

"Please state your name for the record."

"Crystal Lillian Miller."

"Age?"

"21."

"Can you please tell the court in your own words what you do for a living?"

"Well as of currently I was working as an Early Childhood Educator at the _First Years Daycare Center_ in Upstate New York."

"And this is where you first met Little Brendan Anderson? The birth son of my clients?"

"Yes, it was."

"And what did you notice right away."

"The child was painfully shy, almost to an extreme level."

"Objection," the opposing party calls out.

"On what grounds."

"At what level does the witness have knowledge about anti-social behaviors?"

"I have a two-year degree in it, my minor was in sociology," I say firmly.

"Overruled."

"And how did you know that he was extremely shy?"

"I've seen a lot of kids through the years, I observe their behaviours on a regular basis and Brendan was a particularly special case."

"How were you sure that it wasn't a disability like autism?"

I go on to explain some complicated reasons. I talk about how when I tested him, he was strong in various areas and was very bright. He could keep eye contact longer than a child on the spectrum would, he could pay attention and sit still. He was just scared. I tell the court about my first encounter with him.

"He has this stuffed frog toy, whom he calls Prince. He clung to the thing very tightly, it was clear that it was his safety blanket. He also told me point blank that the toy was from his **real** mommy. It implied that he knew he was adopted."

"And was the toy from his real mother?"

"His real father, the only gift to a child who was not adopted legally."

"But you saw nothing wrong with a child knowing about his adoption."

"No, in fact, I met a two-year-old that knew he was adopted as well. Children notice things more than we give them credit for."

Mr. Madison nods in agreement. "But you still didn't suspect anything wrong?"

"Not at first."

"But how did his shyness lead you to the suggestion of abuse?"

"It didn't at first," I say honestly. "I thought Brendan Anderson was just scared because he was starting a new school. But as the days went by, he wasn't improving, not in the slightest."

"When did you first notice the bruises?"

"After a few days of him being in class. I did take one day of leave not long after he arrived, but once I was back, I noticed the abrasions fairly quickly."

"And you didn't think they might've been from a child running around."

"That was my first assumption, I'm well aware of how children have more bruises and scratches than most people."

"When was this?"

"During music time, I tried to engage Brendan as best as I could, but he did not seem interested, that's when I noticed the marks for the first time. I took my time, trying not to jump to any rash conclusions until I noticed the bruises were in the shape of handprints."

"And you're sure of that?"

"Yes, you could see the markings where the fingers had wrapped around the child's wrists. Also, although I'm not a doctor, the bruising was a lot darker than one might expect from bumping their knee on the ground. Then I noticed bruising on his neck."

"His neck?" Mr. Madison says, trying to sound surprised.

"Yes, as if someone had tried to strangle him."

"Objection!" the opposing council calls out and tries to give convoluted reason to call my statement into question, but the judge overrules it again.

"And what happened after that?"

"Well, I tried to get close to them, but he got up and ran away."

"Do you know why?"

"My best assumption is fear and possibly a little bit of pain."

"I see and what else called your attention to little Brendan Anderson?"

"I met his mother."

"The defendant over there?"

"Yes,"

"And you're positive it was her?"

"She introduced herself to me."

I go on to talk about my suspected neglect and the severe lack of interest an adoptive mother had for her own child. I even tell the judge the fact that she, on multiple occasions forgot her son's name. I also mentioned the boarding school idea.

"It still would not be evidence of abuse though would it?"

"Most of the time no until the child finally opened up to me. I managed to finally make a connection with him by offering him my own locket."

I hold up the piece of jewelry I always have around my neck for everyone to see. I can see the emotion on my dad's face shift from where he's sitting. He takes in a heavy breath and gives a sad smile... the symbol of love he made for my mother.

"And why did you do that?"

"To make a personal connection with him, to show him a symbol of love and I told him that it would protect him if he believed in it."

"Why?"

I look over at my family of fairy tale characters, oh how amazing would it be to reveal these kinds of secrets to the world, maybe shake Miss Gallagher up a bit, show her that we weren't afraid of anything.

"Because the kid needed hope and I honestly think that everyone deserves a bit of hope in their lives. He seemed to have such a stressful life and needed something to hold onto. I also know that believing in something is more important than anything else."

Emma gives a small nod of approval and so does David. If Snow was here, she'd be very proud too.

"What happened after you made the connection?"

"The kid straight up told me that his mother didn't love him. I tried to argue with him, I even got angry, but the more he told me, the harder it was to deny. When I asked him about his injuries, he told me it was Olga, his nanny. He told me when she gets mad, she yells and hits things and I asked if that included him."

I swallow a large lump in my throat.

"And what did he say?"

"He nodded and completely broke down in my arms. He cried and I let him do it, as far as I knew I'd gotten the admission I needed to confirm it."

"Now, keep in mind he said that his nanny Olga hurt him."

"Yes, Brendan's adoptive mother may not be responsible for the abuse, most of the time but I believe that she is guilty of neglecting her son..." I go on to highlight my reasons why with Miss Gallagher's face becoming redder and redder as I go on. I talk about how the bruises were still there after my leave of absence and myself, Tiana, Mason and Naveen and even Bridges saw how Olga hurt the child and manhandled him. I describe his screams for help and how helpless he looked. Some people might think that I was trying to play the judge's emotional side, but it was the truth and it hurt me. I didn't cry, but I was on the verge of it after watching Tiana silently crying into a Kleenex across from me.

Once I'm done, Drake Madison smiles. He then hands my sworn witness statement in for evidence and CPS review to enforce the truth.

"Nothing further your honour."

I take a deep breath, knowing what's coming next.

...

I expect the head lawyer for the defense to get up, but instead, Miss Gallagher gets up. I clench my fists to keep my anger in check.

"Miss Miller... was it true that you took an unexpected leave of absence from the daycare center?"

"Yes, it is,"

"And why was that?"

"Personal reasons."

"Could you elaborate on that?"

"Objection," Mr. Madison says. "There is no need to put this witness in a situation that she is not comfortable with."

"Your honor, I merely just want to get more credibility from the witness, see if her statements are valid."

The judge looks at me and then at the defense lawyer.

"Overruled, the witness may answer."

I swallow and decide to be as honest as I could be.

"My boyfriend broke up with me and I had an emotional meltdown."

"And then there was the sonic wave testing that destroyed half of the aquarium and scared the children half to death. And do you think that was rather professional to leave the main instructor to care for 26 young children."

 _Like you threatening my family and friends?!_ I want to shout at her.

"No, it was not,"

"You are aware that professionalism often requires oneself to put the needs of the children in their care over their own?"

"Objection your honour, badgering,"

"Get to the point Miss Gallagher,"

"Your honour, I'm simply trying to show that Miss Miller is not always the person to be trusted for such outrageous accusations of abuse."

"My credibility is fine to thank you, and to be honest I think I'm more qualified to care for children than you,"

The judge bangs her gavel. "Miss Miller!"

"I'm sorry your honor, but I am telling the truth."

"And how do you expect to prove that?" the enemy snorts.

"With my meetings with you," I say with glee in my voice. I describe all my meetings with her, but I don't give my own opinions, I'll let the judge decide. Once I'm done, I smirk. "Shall I go on?"

"No that is not necessary and where might I ask did you go on your leave of absence?"

I look over at Mason, Emma, Killian, David, my dad, Henry... and smile, knowing I'm going to tell a simpler version of the truth. "I found my family... After my meltdown, I left the city to get away and by pure coincidence, I ended up in the town where my father was. I'd never had contact with him before and I learned about the reasons as to why he'd left me and my mother. I bonded with people who welcomed me with open arms and I found my boyfriend again, he'd been hiding out in the town to cool down as well. We worked out our differences in preparation for the birth of our children. I also found Brendan's birth parents. I was helping the two of them work out their differences and fight to get their son back. It was all worth it in the end."

"How sentimental, and isn't that just roses in the garden. Almost like fairy tale even."

"Objection," Mr. Madison says.

"Make your point Miss Gallagher,"

"My point is your honour is that it all seems rather too convenient I'd say."

"Stranger things have happened," I say.

"And all during this time, you never called Child Protective Services? Is that right?"

Inwardly, I sigh, knowing that I had this coming. It was true I screwed up and should have called CPS sooner for Brendan's sake, but things just kept getting in the way. I know I must answer honestly.

"Yes, that is right,"

"And why? Don't you think the implications of abuse call for immediate action?"

My hands burn slightly in anger, trying to keep my powers in check.

"It would and yes, I regret not calling after Brendan's emotional breakdown and admittance of abuse and it was a dumb and selfish thing to do, but I did do it and as of now, the boy has been removed from your care."

"You are aware that it was the nanny who was abusive,"

"I am, but there is still the charge of neglect on the mother's part."

Miss Gallagher looks ready to tear me to pieces or at the very least strangle me. I know she wouldn't hesitate to try and jump into the witness box to start beating me up, but I show no fear. I've dealt with a woman far eviler than her and Zelena is no picnic either.

I answer the rest of the questions with confidence as the despicable lawyer tries to poke holes in my statement, but I stand my ground, never changing my story once. When she has nothing left to say, she ends the questioning.

I feel some relief that my part is over. The judge dismisses me and I go back to my seat, one or both of the twins kicking at my insides. I can see Mason beaming with pride as I sit down next to him. Tiana and Naveen give me the most grateful look ever and my father reaches from behind to pat me on the shoulder.

Despite all this great enthusiasm, something is not sitting right inside of me. I know I might regret speaking up, the threat still in the back of my head.

My fears are confirmed after the court is dismissed for the day and Miss Gallagher shoots daggers at me before making a motion across her throat as if to seal the confirmation of her words.


End file.
